Themes: Social Class and Value
A significant aspect of Gray’s elegy is his belief that the wealthy and powerful, who perceive the common man as less worthy, are wrongly conflating wealth and power with value. Gray’s meditation on how the wealthy and poor are remembered allows him to explore social values. The poem ultimately suggests that an individual’s value ought not to be tied to social class.
In stanzas 10–18, Gray unleashes a forceful attack on the assumption that the rustic poor are inherently less valuable to society than the rich and powerful people who wield the “pomp of pow’r” and “all that wealth e’re gave.” Gray illustrates his views with the monuments by which the dead are remembered. The poem asks whether the wealthy and powerful can be brought back to life by “storied urn or animated bust” any more effectively than the poor, whose graves are marked by “no trophies.”
Gray’s speaker, himself not part of the upper stratum of English society, notes that, among the rustic dead may lie “some heart once pregnant with celestial fire,” indicating a would-be poet. But such commoners live lives in which brilliant achievements are unobtainable, because “chill Penury repress’d their noble rage.” That is, poverty ruins their chances of development. Poverty is personified as “chill Penury” to frame it as an active force militating against a person’s growth in mind and spirit. In stanza 15, Gray alludes to notable figures—John Hampden, Milton, and Cromwell—who represent lives that the commoners in the graves could never emulate, because of the difficulty of their lives. Gray makes it clear that, because of poverty, many potential Miltons and Hampdens go undeveloped and therefore unvalued.
Expert Q&A
How does Thomas Gray glorify common men in his elegy?
Thomas Gray glorifies common men in his "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by emphasizing their equality with the wealthy in death and celebrating their simple, honest lives. He portrays the toil and joys of common people positively, contrasting these with the transient advantages of the rich, such as power and beauty, which are lost at death. Gray's message is that in the end, the simple lives of the common man are more honorable than the deceitful lives of the rich.
How does "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" idealize the common man?
"Elegy Written in a Country Courtyard" idealizes the common man by affirming the worth of living a simple life. The speaker, walking through a graveyard next to a country church, asserts that the talents and virtues of these forgotten people are as worthy as those of the famous.
Why is "chill penury" mentioned in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?
The poet mentions "chill penury" because he wants to tell us why the ordinary folk lying buried in the churchyard were unable to access knowledge. They were held back by poverty.
In "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," what is Thomas Gray's stance on poverty, aristocracy, free verse, and educating the poor?
In the poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray, the poet condemns poverty. He does this by pointing out that there is no difference between the poor and the rich and famous after death, and the poor could have done much more in their lives if they would have had access to better opportunities.
Discuss the theme of poverty and its potential impact on other major themes in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray.
Gray's "Elegy in a Country Churchyard" depicts poor, obscure people as worthy of dignity and respect. He asserts that many of them, although unknown, had, when alive, the same talents as famous individuals such as Milton or Cromwell.
Barriers to greatness for the villagers in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard."
In "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," the villagers face barriers to greatness due to their poverty and lack of education. These constraints prevent them from achieving their full potential or being remembered for grand accomplishments, despite their inherent talents and virtues.
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