About
Thomas Gray, born in London in 1716, was an English poet and scholar. Educated at Eton and Cambridge, he traveled in Europe with Horace Walpole. His most famous poem, 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard', published in 1751, was immensely popular. He also wrote odes and took an interest in Norse and Welsh poetry. He declined the Poet Laureateship and became Regius Professor of Modern History at Cambridge. He died in 1771 and was buried at Stoke Poges. His work, though brief, marked the transition from classicism to romanticism.
* 1716-12-26 — † 1771-07-28
Major works
- Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard (1751)poem
- Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College (1742)ode
- The Progress of Poesy (1757)Pindaric ode
- The Bard (1757)Pindaric ode
- The Descent of Odin (1761)poem
Key milestones
- 1739Undertook the Grand Tour of France and Italy with Horace Walpole.
- 1751Publication of 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard'.
- 1768Appointed Regius Professor of Modern History at Cambridge.
Themes
mortalitymelancholynaturehistorypoetry
Sources: thomasgray.org · oxfordreference.com · westminster-abbey.org