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Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
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Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
by
Thomas Gray
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Summary
Themes
Questions & Answers
Analysis
Analysis
Key Ideas and Commentary
Style, Form, and Literary Elements
Historical and Social Context
Connections and Further Reading
Quotes
"Far From The Madding Crowd's Ignoble Strife"
"Full Many A Flower Is Born To Blush Unseen"
"Mindful Of The Unhonored Dead"
"Some Mute Inglorious Milton"
"The Curfew Tolls The Knell Of Parting Day"
"The Paths Of Glory Lead But To The Grave"
"The Rude Forefathers Of The Hamlet Sleep"
"The Short And Simple Annals Of The Poor"
Critical Essays
Critical Overview
Essays and Criticism
Multiple-Choice Quizzes
PDF Downloads
Lesson Plans
Teaching Guide
Introduction
History of the Text
Significant Allusions
Teaching Approaches
Topics for Further Study
What Do I Read Next?
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Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard Questions and Answers
What characteristics of Romanticism are found in the poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?
What is the significance of Thomas Gray's epitaph in An Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard?
What does "Full many a flower is born to blush unseen" mean?
What is Gray's attitude toward death in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard?"
Write a critical appreciation of Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard."
What is a "mute inglorious Milton" according to Thomas Gray?
Cite the differences between city life and country life in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard."
What are some figures of speech in Thomas Gray's poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?
What are the concrete objects in this poem?
What is the main message of "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?
How is imagery used in “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” by Thomas Gray?
What does the title "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" mean?
What does "Where heaves the turf in many a mouldering heap" mean?
How are the graves of poor and rich contrasted in the poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?
What is the tone of "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?
What does the phrase "celestial fire" most closely mean as it is used in stanza 12?
How did Gray treat nature in Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard?
What is the setting of the poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?
Why does the poet mention "chill penury" in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?
How does Thomas Gray glorify common men in his elegy?
What does the phrase "hoary-headed swain" mean in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"? What does the speaker say about this character?
What does "For who to dumb Forgetfulness a prey" mean?
How the poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" different from conventional elegies?
What is the description of the scene in the churchyard given in lines 1-20?
What is the elegiac tone in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray?
Name two eminent personalities mentioned in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard." How do these allusions contribute to the poem's theme?
How does "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" glorify or idealize the common man?
What is the theme of Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Courtyard"?
What is the story of "Hampden" (in line 57)?
What is Gray's attitude toward the people buried in the cementery? Toward the rich? Toward the poor?
What is a critical analysis of "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?
What are some of the "sound devices" used in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray?
Why is the poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" so popular?
In the seventeenth stanza of "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray, what possible blessing does the poet mention the lack of fame and opportunity may have afforded the humble?
Who is being mourned for in Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?
What time of day is pictured in the poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?
What mood does the cluster of images in the first stanza create?
What is a ploughman?
In his poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," does Thomas Gray condemn poverty, praise the aristocracy, use free verse, or criticize educating the poor?
How far is Thomas Gray successful in creating an elegiac atmosphere in his "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?
At what time of day does the speaker find himself in the country churchyard?
Discuss the major themes that are correlated by Thomas Gray in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard."
"Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere, / Heav'n did a recompense as largely send: / He gave to Mis'ry all he had, a tear, / He gain'd from Heav'n ('twas all he wish'd) a friend." Please summarize and explain these lines from "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard."
What special features of the "Elegy" made it so popular?
What major characteristic of Romanticism is evident in the first 20 lines of the poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?
Who is the speaker in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?
What is the description of the former life of villagers who lie buried in the churchyard? lines 21-28
What is the view on nature in Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard?"
What is the meaning of line 36 in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?
What is the scene in the churchyard given in lines 1-20 of "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?