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Exploring Elegiac and Eulogistic Tones in Thomas Gray's Poem Elegy

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Exploring Elegiac and Eulogistic Tones in Thomas Gray's Poem Elegy International Journal of English Research International Journal of English Research ISSN: 2455-2186; Impact Factor: RJIF 5.32 Received: 14-04-2019; Accepted: 16-05-2019 www.englishjournals.com Volume 5; Issue 4; July 2019; Page No. 43-47 Exploring elegiac and eulogistic tones in Thomas Gray’s poem elegy written in a country churchyard Lok Raj Sharma Associate Professor of English, Makawanpur Multiple Campus, Hetauda, Nepal Abstract The prime objective of this research article is to explore elegiac and eulogistic tones in Gray’s Poem entitled “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” that was first published in 1751. This poem deals with the situations and deeds of the dead as well as living marginalized people in rustic surroundings. The writer has employed some poetic lines as data which retain the elegiac and eulogistic tones. This article is based on a qualitative descriptive method which involves the presentation of poetic lines and their analyses. This article concludes with a striking elegiac remark that all the people rich and poor, proud and humble, heard and unheard, noble and ignoble and noted and mediocre must merge their existence with soil at the end of life. The prime themes of the poem are death, vanity of human glory, inevitability of death, life in death etc. This article is assumed to be significant to those who are involved in teaching learning English poetry. Keywords: elegy, poetry, Thomas gray, tone 1. Introduction something great and valuable, separation from someone Poetry is an artistic expression of human contents tinted near and dear and the death of an individual or upon death with imagination for creating a certain emotion, feeling or itself. The elegy is distinguished from other forms of poetry in-depth perception in readers. Elegy is a form of poetry. It by its special meter called “elegiac meter” consisting of a is a serious subjective poem with mournfulness or dactylic hexameter followed by a dactylic pentameter in melancholy as a dominant element. “Elegy Written in a poetic lines. But a modern elegy just focuses on its subject Country Churchyard” is one of the most popular poems matter that must be mournful and melancholic. There are composed by Thomas Gray (December 26, 1716 – July 30, several elegies in English literature. ‘The scholar Gypsy” by 1771). He was an English poet, classical scholar and Arnold, “Break Break Break” by Tennyson, “Elegy written professor at Cambridge University. Structurally, this poem in a country churchyard” by Gray, “Lycidas” by Milton etc. is not an elegy since it is not written in elegiac couplets are popular elegies in English literature. Cuddon (1999) [7] which require the structure of a hexametric line followed by mentions that elegy has come to mean “a poem of mourning a pentametric line, but thematically, it is an elegy because it for an individual, or a lament for some tragic event” (p.253). is set in a graveyard and it expresses mourning for loss and Harmon (2009) [9] considers elegy as “ a sustained and death. It may have been written on the death of Gray's formal poem setting forth meditations on death or another friend Richard West who died in 1742. Moreover, it is itself solemn theme” (p.182). Abrams (1993) [1] asserts that a more general lament concerning human mortality. “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” deals with “the The poetic persona tends to express his/ her attitude towards mortality of human beings and the passing of things they something or somebody. Tone or attitude may be positive, value” (p.50). negative, satiric, ironic, elegiac, eulogistic, neutral etc. Sometimes it is difficult for an average reader to explore a 2.1.1 Basic Parts of Elegy dominating tone of the poem. A traditional elegy has three basic parts that come in order The article writer has attempted to explore two sorts of tone in the poem in this elegy: elegiac tone and eulogistic tone. He has 1. Grief: An expression of sadness. highlighted the major poetic lines that hint at these tones 2. Admiration: Praise for the deceased. and interpreted them as a method of researching the tone. 3. Acceptance: Coming to terms with loss. This article will be fruitful to those who wish to discern tone for a thematic analysis of a poem. Although grief is a dominant element in the early part of the elegy, the note often changes towards the close to the 2. Literature Review resignation. The poet reconciles himself to the inevitable Literature review includes definition of elegy, parts of reality or expresses his faith in immortality and future elegy, features of elegy, different types of tone, and reunion. different persons’ views on this elegy. 2.1.2 Features of elegy 2.1 Elegy Some common features of elegy are as follows The word “elegy” comes from the Greek word “elegos” 1. The most striking feature of an elegy is its which means “mournful poem”. The elegy which belongs to mournfulness. Whatever may be the subject matter – be the category of serious meditative poetry is a formal poem it the death of an individual, or the fall of a great city or composed on the loss of something loved, destruction of the lost love or anything else, It must be sad and in the 43 International Journal of English Research nature of a lamentation. eulogistic tone. The elegiac tone is a sorrowful or 2. The second feature or quality of an elegy is its absolute melancholic tone that pervades the poem because of the sincerity of emotion and expression. demise of someone near and dear, separation from the loved 3. It retains philosophic and speculative elements. one, destruction of lives and properties, loss of something 4. Subjectivity significant etc. According to Collins Dictionary (2014) [6], 5. The note of hope and resignation which is sounded elegiac tone involves “expressing sorrow”. The eulogistic towards the close of the elegy. tone involves a speech, presentation, or writing that pays 6. Mystical and spiritual feelings for the departed soul. tribute to someone's lifetime achievements. Webster’s New 7. Hope of existence of the soul in nature and heaven. World College Dictionary (2010) [23] defines eulogy as “a formally expressing praise”. Eulogistic tone refers to the 2.2 Tone in General appreciative tone of the poet towards somebody for his / her Tone is the author’s implicit attitude toward the reader, goodness, innocence, hard work, honesty, positive subject, and/or the people, places, and events in a work as achievement, noble causes etc. revealed by the elements of the author’s style. Tone may be characterized as serious or ironic, sad or happy, private or 3. Method of the Study public, angry or affectionate, bitter or nostalgic, or any other The researcher adopted a qualitative descriptive method in attitudes and feelings that human beings experience. which he took verse lines / stanzas that hint at the elegiac or Harmon (2009) [9] defines tone as “the attitude toward the eulogistic tone. The verse lines / stanzas functioned as data subject and toward the audience implied in a literary work” that were identified, described and analyzed. (p.523). Cuddon (1999) [7] views the tone as “the reflection of a writer’s attitude (especially towards his readers), 3.1 Data of the Study manner, mood and moral outlook in his work” (p.920). The researcher employed qualitative / nominal data that Writers and poets may exploit numerous tones in their were taken from the poem. The data in the study are verse writings: positive tones such as amiable, consoling, friendly, lines and stanzas of the poem. playful, amused, content, happy, pleasant, appreciative, dreamy, hopeful, proud, authoritative ecstatic, impassioned, 3.2 Sampling relaxed, benevolent, elated, jovial, reverent, rave, elevated, The data being qualitative in nature, the researcher used a joyful, romantic, calm, encouraging jubilant, soothing, purposive sampling technique with a small sample size by cheerful, energetic, lighthearted surprised cheery, taking one poem under study. The researcher culled only enthusiastic, loving, sweet, compassionate, excited, certain verse lines or stanzas that contain the elegiac and eulogistic, optimistic, sympathetic, complimentary, eulogistic tones. exuberant, passionate, vibrant, confident, fanciful, peaceful, whimsical etc; negative tones such as accusing, choleric, 3.3 Validity furious, quarrelsome, aggravated, coarse, harsh, shameful, Colleagues and lecturers of poetry were consulted to ensure agitated, cold, haughty, angry, condemnatory, hateful, the validity of data under study. snooty, apathetic, condescending, hurtful, superficial, arrogant, contradictory, indignant, surly, artificial, 4. Analysis of Data audacious, desperate, insulting, threatening, belligerent, The researcher followed thematic analysis of data through disappointed, irritated, tired, bitter, disgruntled, the process of identification, description and analysis to manipulative, uninterested, boring, disgusted, obnoxious, come o the conclusion. He focused on the iterative process wrathful, brash, disinterested, outraged, childish, facetious, to discover the elegiac and eulogistic tones in the poem. passive etc., and humorous and ironic tones such as amused, droll, mock-heroic, sardonic, bantering, facetious, mocking, 4.1 Exploring elegiac and eulogistic tones in the poem satiric, bitter, flippant mock-serious, scornful, caustic, "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" is a powerful giddy, patronizing, sharp comical, humorous, pompous, evocative poem composed in heroic quatrain: a stanza of silly, condescending, insolent, quizzical, taunting, four lines of iambic pentameter having the rhyme contemptuous, ironic, teasing, critical, irreverent, ridiculing, scheme abab. It ends with an epitaph that is a poetic whimsical, cynical, joking, sad, wry, disdainful, malicious, inscription intended to be on a gravestone. This poem sarcastic, grotesque etc. moves from a meditation in a particular place upon the They may also use neutral tones in their writing such as graves of the poor to a reflection on the mortality of all admonitory, dramatic, intimate, questioning, allusive, humankind and on some of the benefits of being constrained earnest, judgmental, reflective, apathetic, expectant, learned, by poverty.
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