抑扬格

SquireAdamhadtwowives,theysay,

Twowiveshadhe,forhisdelight,

Hekisdandclyptthemalltheday

Andclyptandkisdthemallthenight.

NowEvelikeoceanfoamwaswhite

AndLilithrosdippedinwine,

Butthoughtheywereagoodlysight

Noladyissofairasmine.

ToVenussomefolktributepay

AndQueenofBeautysheishight,

AndSainteMarietheworlddothsway

Incerulenaperybedight.

Mywondermentthetwaininvite,

Theircomelinessitisdivine,

AndyetIsayintheirdespite,

Noladyissofairasmine.

DameHelencaudagrievousfray,

Forloveofherbravemendidfight,

Theeyesofhermadesagesfey

Andputtheirheartsinwoefulplight.

TohernorhymeswillIindite,

ForhernogarlandswillItwine

Thoughshebemadeofflowersandlight

Noladyissofairasmine.

ThomasGray(1716-1771)

ElegyWritteninaCountryChurchyard

Thecurfewtollstheknellofpartingday,

Thelowingherdwindslowlyo'erthelea,

Theplowmanhomewardplodshiswearyway,

Andleavestheworldtodarknessandtome.

Nowfadestheglimm'ringlandscapeonthesight,

Andalltheairasolemnstillnessholds,

7Savewherethebeetlewheelshisdroningflight,

8Anddrowsytinklingslullthedistantfolds;

9Savethatfromyonderivy-mantledtow'r

10Themopingowldoestothemooncomplain

11Ofsuch,aswand'ringnearhercretbow'r,

12Molestherancientsolitaryreign.

13Beneaththoruggedelms,thatyew-tree'sshade,

14Whereheavestheturfinmanyamould'ringheap,

15Eachinhisnarrowcellforeverlaid,

16Therudeforefathersofthehamletsleep.

17Thebreezycallofincen-breathingMorn,

18Theswallowtwitt'ringfromthestraw-builtshed,

19Thecock'sshrillclarion,ortheechoinghorn,

20Nomoreshallrouthemfromtheirlowlybed.

21Forthemnomoretheblazinghearthshallburn,

22Orbusyhouwifeplyhereveningcare:

23Nochildrenruntolisptheirsire'sreturn,

24Orclimbhiskneestheenviedkisstoshare.

25Oftdidtheharvesttotheirsickleyield,

26Theirfurrowoftthestubbornglebehasbroke;

27Howjocunddidtheydrivetheirteamafield!

28Howbow'dthewoodsbeneaththeirsturdystroke!

29LetnotAmbitionmocktheirufultoil,

30Theirhomelyjoys,anddestinyobscure;

31NorGrandeurhearwithadisdainfulsmile

32Theshortandsimpleannalsofthepoor.

33Theboastofheraldry,thepompofpow'r,

34Andallthatbeauty,allthatwealthe'ergave,

35Awaitsaliketh'inevitablehour.

36Thepathsofgloryleadbuttothegrave.

37Noryou,yeproud,imputetothethefault,

38IfMem'ryo'ertheirtombnotrophiesrai,

39Wherethro'thelong-drawnaisleandfrettedvault

40Thepealinganthemswellsthenoteofprai.

41Canstoriedurnoranimatedbust

42Backtoitsmansioncallthefleetingbreath?

43CanHonour'svoiceprovokethesilentdust,

44OrFlatt'rysoothethedullcoldearofDeath?

45Perhapsinthisneglectedspotislaid

46Someheartoncepregnantwithcelestialfire;

47Hands,thattherodofempiremighthavesway'd,

48Orwak'dtoecstasythelivinglyre.

49ButKnowledgetotheireyesheramplepage

50Richwiththespoilsoftimedidne'erunroll;

51ChillPenuryrepress'dtheirnoblerage,

52Andfrozethegenialcurrentofthesoul.

53Fullmanyagemofpurestrayrene,

54Thedarkunfathom'dcavesofoceanbear:

55Fullmanyaflow'risborntoblushunen,

56Andwasteitssweetnessonthedertair.

57Somevillage-Hampden,thatwithdauntlessbreast

58Thelittletyrantofhisfieldswithstood;

59SomemuteingloriousMiltonheremayrest,

60SomeCromwellguiltlessofhiscountry'sblood.

61Th'applauoflist'ningnatestocommand,

62Thethreatsofpainandruintodespi,

63Toscatterplentyo'erasmilingland,

64Andreadtheirhist'ryinanation'yes,

1]Firstpublished,anonymously,1751,underthetitle"AnElegywroteinaCountry

Churchyard."ThedateofcompositionoftheElegy,apartfromtheconcludingstanzas,

eauthorityforthefrequentlyrepeatedstatement

thatGraybeganthepoemin1742isMason'sconjectureinthememoirprefixedtohis

,gywasconcludedatStokePogesin

June,1750.(SeelettertoWalpole,June12,1750.)Thechurchyardasdescribedby

Grayistypicalratherthanparticular;ofthefivedisputed"originals"StokePoges

ndidatechurchyards

forGray'sttingincludeStokePoges(unlikely),Upton(nearSlough),Grantchester

andMadingley(nearCambridge),andThanington(nearCanterbury),butthefeatures

mightasreadilybenon-specific.

curfew:originallyrungateighto'clockasasignalforextinguishingfires;afterthis

practicehadcead,otetothisfirst

lineGrayreferstoDante,Purgatorio,VIII,5-6:"Squilladilontano/Chepaia'l

giornopianger,chesimuore."

8]tinklings:madebysheep-bells.

9]Colvill's"Britain,aPoem,"II,45-57:

Eventhus,thekeeney'dfalconswiftdescends

OnPallas'birdvictorious;longhewatch'd

Thetemptingspoil,andshehisragedefy'd,

Closhelter'dinherivymantl'dtower;

Compell'dabroad,whilecirclingslowshewheels

Inquestoffood,andleastexpectsthesnare,

Straitfromhisairyflightthevictorstoops,

Aslightning-swift,andbearsthecaptiveprey.(450-57)

16]rude:unlearned.

17]incen-breathing:Lost,IX,pe,Messiah,24:"With

alltheincenofthebreathingspring."

19]Thecock'sshrillclarion:Lost,VII,443-44:"thecrestedcock,who

clarionsounds/Thesilenthours."itehead's"TheStateofRome"(1739),

lines173-74:

Buthold,War'sRumour!marktheloudAlarms!

HarktheshrillClarionsoundstoArms,toArms!

26]broke:old`strong'formofthepastparticiple,`broken.'

30]homely:domestic.32]shortandsimpleannals:parishregistersofbirths,

christenings,marriages,anddeaths(RichardLeightonGreene,"Gray'sElegywritten

inaCountryChurchyard,"TheExplicator24.6[Feb.1966].)

35]eedler's"ras'd,"lines30-34:

Whenonceth'inevitableHouriscome,

AtwhichthoumustreceivethyfinalDoom;

ThyNobleBirth,thyEloquenceDivine,

AndshiningPietyshallnoughtencline

ThestubbornWillofunrelentingFate...

andRichardWest's"AMonodyontheDeathofQueenCaroline"(Dodsley's

CollectionofPoems[1748]:II,273):

Ahme!Whatbootsusallourboastedpower,

Ourgoldentreasure,andourpurpledstate?

Theycannotwardtheinevitablehour,

NorstaythefearfulviolenceofFate.

Acollective(singular)subjectispossible,thoughtheword`hour'mightalsobethe

subjectoftheword`awaits.'

36]'s"TheFirstBookoftheOdysy,"lines391-92:

Ogreatlybless'dwithev'rybloominggrace!

Withequalstepsthepathsofglorytrace..

38]Trophies:memorials.

39]fretted:,II,ii:"thismajestical

rooffrettedwithgoldenfire."

41]Whyte's"ElegyII"(1722),lines119-20:

NobreathingMarbleo'erhisDustshallstand;

NostoriedUrnshallcelebratehisName...

43]provoke:initsoriginaln,tocallforth,tochallenge.

51]rage:asofteninthepoetryoftheeighteenthcentury,poeticfire(furorpoeticus).

57]Hampden:JohnHampden(ca.1595-1643),oneofthenoblestofEnglish

Parliamentarystatesmen;acentralfigureoftheEnglishrevolutioninitarlierstages.

59]Trapp's"Virgil'sAeneis,"IV,512-14:

He,toprotracthisagedFather'sLife,

ChoSkillinMed'cine,andthePow'rsofHerbs;

Andexercis'damuteingloriousArt.

69]conscioustruth:truthfulawarenessofinwardguilt.

72]newasfollowedbyfourstanzaswhichwereomittedinthe

,accordingtoMason,thepoemwasintendedtoclo;the

"hoary-headedswain"andtheepitaphwereafter-thoughts.

pious:dutiful.

73]ones'"OneingaPictureofhisRoyalHighnessthePrinceofWales,

whichwasprentedtotheUniversityofDublin"(1749),lines61-64:

Herfavour'dSonsfrom'midstthemaddingCrowd,

HerSonslectwithgentleHandshedrew,

Secretedtimelyfromth'austereandproud,

TheirFamewide-spreading,tho'theirNumbersfew.

madding:outraged.

92]Gray'snotereferstoPetrarch'ssonnet169:

Ch'iveggionelpensier,dolcemiofuoco,

Freddaunalingua,etduebegliocchichiusi

Rimanerdopponoipiendifaville.