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Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard Questions and Answers
Short-Answers Questions (SAQ)
Q. 1. What is an elegy in poetry? Give examples of elegy in poetry.
Ans. An elegy is a sad poem, usually written to praise and express sorrow for someone who is dead. The forms of elegy we see today were introduced in the 16th century. The term is used for sombre meditations on morality in Thomas Gray’sElegy in a Country Churchyard. Milton’s Lycidas, Shelley’s Adonais and Walt Whitman’s When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’dare the most popular examples of elegy.
Q. 2. What is the difference between eulogy and elegy?
Ans. It is common to see both of these words used during a funeral, but eulogy vs. elegy have different meanings. An elegy is a mournful poem or song written about someone who has recently died. A Eulogy, on the other hand, is a laudatory speech or written tribute praising someone who has recently died.
Q. 3. What is the difference between elegy and dirge?
Ans. An elegy is a mournful or plaintive poem; it is a poem of lamentation while dirge is mournful poem or piece of music composed and performed as a memorial to a dead person.
4 .What is the difference between an ode and an elegy?
Ans. An ode is a serious poem usually addressed to an object dead or absent. It endeavours to create a noble and sublime mood by the contemplation of the beautiful, the heroic or the divine. Its structure is elaborate as well as elastic, and its movement slow. It is invariably inspired by an intense emotion. An elegy is generally sad and morose and is usually written to mourn the dead. An important subtype of elegy is the pastoral elegy that represents both the mourner and the person mourned as shepherds. Moreover, odes are usually
longer than elegies.
Q. 5. Ans. What is the setting of Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard?
Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard takes place in a country churchyard. It was written among all the gravestones of the dead members of that church. It is shaded by elm and yew trees, and there is an owl hooting in the background.
Q. 6. When was Elegy in a Country Churchyard written? What is the main theme of the poem?
Ans. Elegy in a Country Churchyard was written 1757.
The main theme of poemis the inevitability of death. This is a poem that expresses the sentiment known as ‘memento mori’: a reminder of our own mortality. The scene is of a country churchyard with a graveyard.
Q. 7. How many stanzas are there in Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard?
Ans. There are thirty two stanzas including the epitaph in the poem Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard.
The poem is cast in four-line stanzas, each one forming quatrain, in which the first line rhymes with the third, the second with the fourth.
Q. 8. What type of poem is Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard?
Ans. Elegy Written in a Country Churchyardis the most famous graveyard poemby Thomas Gray, published in 1757. It is ameditative poem written in iambic pentameter quatrains. Here the poet composes a meditation on unused human potential, the conditions of country life, and mortality
Q. 9. How is Thomas Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard different from other elegies?
Ans. An elegy is a mournful, melancholy, or plaintive poem, especially a lament for the dead. Unlike many other elegies, ThomasGray’s Elegy in a Country Churchyard mourns the death of common men, rather than great or famous people.Itis not written in elegiac couplets, but it is set in a graveyard and expresses mourning for death. It may have been written on the death of Gray’s friend Richard West in 1742, but is itself a more general lament concerning human mortality.
Q.10. “The curfew tolls the knell of parting day.” What is curfew in Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard?
Ans. The term curfew denotes the evening bell signalling people to cover fire i.e. to extinguish or put out their fires. This was an old practice which was observed to take precaution against houses catching fire at night.
Q.11. “The curfew tolls the knell of parting day.” What does knell symbolize?
Ans. Knell refers to the bell rung at a funeral. The use of the word ‘knell’ is symbolic because it is used when describing the type of bell rung at funerals. Thus, knell symbolizes a death signal.
Q.12. What is the mood of Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard?
Ans. The tone of the poem Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray is sad and somber. The mood on the other hand is the overall feeling of a poem and is created by the tone of the poem. The mood in this poem is sorrowful and solemn.
Q.13. Would you consider Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard an elegy proper?
Ans. Gray’s An Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard (1751) isa meditative poem written in iambic pentameter quatrains. The poemis a meditation on unused human potential, the conditions of country life, and mortality. It is one of the bestknown elegies in the language. It was written among all the gravestones of the dead members of that church. It is shaded by elm and yew trees, and there is an owl hooting in the background.
Q.14. What does Thomas Gray’s Elegy mourn?
Ans. An elegy is a mournful, melancholy, or plaintive poem, especially a lament for the dead. Unlike many elegies, however, Thomas Gray’s Elegy in a Country Churchyard mourns the death of common men, rather than great or famous people. In this poem, Gray laments the deaths of those people whose potential abilities were never realised.
Q.15. What time of day is it when the poem begins?
Ans. The time refers to the parting day that is late afternoon in the poem. The “curfew” is a bell that rings at the end of the day, but a “knell” is a bell that rings when someone dies. So it is like the “parting day” that is actually dying. It is metaphor.
Q.16. Locate and annotate: The paths of glory lead but to the grave (Line
36).
Ans. The line occurs in Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. The linedenotes that death makes everybody equal. All paths lead only to the grave.
Q.17. What themes have been introduced in the poem Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard?
Ans. The common themes of ElegyWritten in a Country Churchyard areDeath, Memory and musings on the past. Man and his relation with the natural world, society, class and isolation are dealt with in the poem. It is a poem that takes place in a cemetery, and it is about how people are remembered after they are dead.
Q.18. What message does the poem Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard suggest?
Ans. An Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard is one of the bestknown elegies in the language. It is a meditation on unused human potential, the conditions of country life, and mortality. The intellectual capabilities of these dead rustics never had the chance to bloom.
Q.19. How does the poet describe homeward journey of the farmers?
Ans. The farmer returns home walking heavily after the day’s hard work. The ploughman’s day is over and, now tired, he is returning home. The herds are going back to their shelter. In this way the poet is left alone in the scene.
Q.20. “The plowman homeward plods his weary way”. Identify the figure of speech.
Ans. The ‘weary way’ is an example of transferred epithet. The word ‘weary’ is associated with the ploughman who is tired after the day’s work but it is transferred to the phrase ‘way’ which is closely associated to it. Hence it is an example of the transferred epithet as well as alliteration for the repetition of ‘w’ in “weary way”.
Q.21. “And leaves the world to darkness and to me” – What is meant here?
Ans. It means the poet is threatened with utter loneliness in the night, as both the cattle and the farmer will soon vanish into the night. It portrays the dark environs of Stoke Poges and the atmosphere that surrounds it.
Q.22. “Now fades the glimm’ring landscape on the sight” – What does the line reveal?
Ans. The line reveals that the landscape is becoming increasingly harder to see, is fading from sight.
Q.23. How was the evening scene of the country churchyard at Stoke Pages?
Ans. The atmosphere of the country churchyard at Stoke Pages is quiet, calm, and silence prevails there. The scene comes dim and indistinct to the view.
Q.24. What does the line “And drowsy tinkling’s lull the distant folds” mean?
Ans. This line apparently refers to the gentle sounds made by a bell around the neck of a castrated male sheep that leads other sheep. A castrated male sheep is called a wether. Such a sheep with a bell around its neck is called a bellwether.
Q.25. What breaks the silence of the evening atmosphere of the country churchyard?
Ans. The silence of the evening atmosphere of the country churchyard is broken by the dull hum of the beetle and by the tinklings of tiny bells tied around the necks of sheep returning from distant valleys.
Q.26. “The curfew tolls the knell of parting day.” What does ‘curfew’ mean?
Ans. ‘Curfew’ is the name of the evening bell which is used to be rung at about 8 o’clock as a signal for people to put out their fires and go to bed – a custom introduced into England by William, the Conqueror.
Q.27. Where are the narrow burials of the rustic villagers?
Ans. Beneath the shade of the yew tree and elm tree, gnarled and knotted through the ages, lies the narrow burials of the rustic villagers of hamlet.
Q.28. What is an elm? What is a yew tree?
Ans. An elm is a kind of shady tree having a broad spreading or overreaching top.
A yew tree is a kind of evergreen tree often seen in churchyards.
Q.29. Who are the rude forefathers of the hamlet?
Ans. The rude forefathers refer to the ancient villagers who are unlettered and uncultured.
Q.30. What does the ‘narrow cell’ refer to?
Ans. The ‘narrow cell’ refer to the buried coffins in the ground.
Q.31. What awakened the ancient rustics when they were alive?
Ans. When the ancient rustics were alive they awakened by listening to the chirping of the birds, the trumpet sounds made by the cock and their echoes.
Q.32. “The breezy call of incense -breathing Morn”. – What does the ‘breezy call’ refer to?
Ans. ‘Breezy call’ refers to the morn or morning, as a living thing.
Q.33. “The cock’s shrill clarion, or the echoing horn.’- What does ‘the echoing horn’ refer to?
Ans. “The echoing horn’ may refer to the sound made by a fox huntsman who blows a copper horn to which pack hounds respond.
Q.34. What did their wives do when the rustics were alive?
Ans. When the rustics were alive their wives used to do necessary arrangements for their evening rest and refreshments and food which they needed after their hard work.
Q.35. What did their children do when the rustics were alive?
Ans. When the rustics were alive their children greeted their return from the fields with their lisping gesture and vied with each other to have the fond kiss from the father.
Q.36. What did the rude forefathers do when they were alive?
Ans. Every day when they went to the field to cut the crops with their sickle, made furrows at regular intervals to plant trees, and they worked on the fields with their fellow villagers, as a team cheerfully.
Q.37. “How jocund did they drive their team afield.” – Why does the poet use the word ‘jocund’?
Ans. To maintain the meter, Gray uses an adjective when the syntax calls for an adverb, jocundly.
Q.38. Whom does the poet ask not to mock the toil of the rustics? Why?
Ans. The poet asks the ambitious people not to mock the honest and hard labour of the rustics because it is useful for the nation.
Q.39. What does ‘destiny obscure’ refer to?
Ans. ‘Destiny obscure’ refers to the common peoples’ humble fate and everything that they accomplish that is not glorified or announced. The destiny of the common people because they live and die unknown and unseen. Turfs of grass have grown on the graves. The simple-hearted rustic people of the past generations lie buried in these graves.
Q.40. Whom does the poet ask not to scorn the simple tale of living of the common people?
Ans. The poet asks the persons living aristocratic life not to scorn the simple tale of living of the common people. Q.41. What does the poet mean in the phrase ‘the simple annals of
the poor’?
Ans. The ‘annals’ refer to the history and stories. Here Gray shows how the poor take pride in what they create and even though they may not have much money, they are proud of their hard work and the nature that surrounds them.
Q.42. Why according to Gray, are the urn and speeches in honour of the dead on their tombs useless?
Ans. According to Gray, the urn and speeches in honour of the dead on their tombs are useless because they cannot call the dead back to life from the silence of the grave.
Q.43. “The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow’r”.
What does the phrase ‘the boast of heraldry’ refer to? What is the figure of speech used in “the pomp of pow’r”?
Ans. The phrase ‘the boast of heraldry’ refers to the boastfulness of the upper class in regards to their aristocracy as well as their snobby attitude about having power. The letter ‘p’ is repeated in pomp and power which are two closely placed words. This is an example of alliteration.
Q.44. “Where thro’ the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault”. What does ‘the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault’ refer to?
Ans. ‘The long-drawn aisle’ refers to that part of the church stretching along its length parallel to the central portion and divided from it by pillars. The ‘fretted vault’ refers to an elaborately carved or arched ceiling inside of a church where important people were buried.
Q.45. What failed to entertain the cold ears of the dead?
Ans. The breath of life has left them and they are all dead, neither words of honour nor the tricks of flattery will entertain the cold ears of the dead.
Q.46. ‘Can Honour’s voice provoke the silent dust” – What is meant here? Explain the figure in “silent dust”.
Ans. Gray here explains that nothing can bring the dead back to life. Honours and flattery are no competition for death. The wealthy’s riches will not save them or benefit them in any way once death approaches.
‘Silent dust’ is an example of euphemism which is a tender expression used for unpleasant meaning.
Q.47. What does the phrase ‘pregnant with celestial fire’ refer to? Explain the figure of speech in the quoted line.
Ans. ‘Pregnant with celestial fire’ refers to divine genius, genius that is not native or earthly, full of great ideas, abilities and goals. Here we find a comparison between two dissimilar things child and celestial fire. It an implicit comparison and hence an example of metaphor.
Q.48. Why none of the dead in the unnoticed place became a great ruler?
Ans. The poet thinks that someone of the humble country folk in the cemetery might have become a king or an emperor but he did not become that because he had not been given the opportunity.
Q.49. Why none of the dead in the unnoticed place of the cemetery became a great musician?
Ans. The poet thinks that someone of the people in the cemetery could have become a great musician but he could not come that because of the lack of opportunity.
Q.50. Why did the intellectual capabilities of the dead rustics never have a chance to bloom?
Ans. The intellectual capabilities of these dead rustics never had the chance to bloom. Poverty was the reason that that froze down all the noble inspirations and ambition.
Q.51. Why could the dead rustics never get a chance of getting knowledge?
Ans. The dead rustics could never get a chance of getting knowledge because they were so poor that they could not go to schools and colleges.
Q.52. “Full many a gem of purest ray serene, / The dark unfathom’d caves of ocean bear” To whom the dead rustics are compared? –
Ans. Gray here compares the dead rustics of the village to the bright gems and pearls that lay hidden and unseen in the depths of ocean.
Q.53. Who was Hampden?
Ans. John Hampden (1594-1643) was a puritan member of Parliament. He frequently criticized and opposed the policies of King Charles I. In particular, he opposed a tax imposed by the king to outfit the British navy. He was killed in a battle in 1643.
Q.54. “Full many a flow’r is born to blush unseen, / And waste its sweetness on the desert air.” – To whom the dead rustics are compared?
Ans. Gray here compares the dead rustics to the beautiful flowers that bloom in the jungles whose fragrance gets wasted and they fade away unnoticed.
Q.55. “Some village-Hampden, that with dauntless breast” Why does Gray allude to Hampden?
Ans. John Hampden (1594-1643) was a puritan member of Parliament. The poet mourns to say that even a poor villager have the strength to oppose the king for his injustice.
can Q.56. “Some Cromwell guiltless of his country’s blood”. Who was Cromwell? Why does Gray refer to the name?
Ans. Cromwell (1599-1658) was a great ruler of England and was responsible of bloodshed during civil war. He was guilty of his country’s blood because he led the people’s army against the Royalists. The poet means to say that the poor buried there might have been a Cromwell without his vices. Anyway, the villagers are guiltless and cannot be associated with Cromwell in derogatory sense.
Q.57. What prevented the dead rustics from receiving applause from politicians?
Ans. The villagers’ way of life prevented them from receiving applause from politicians for good deeds such as alleviating pain and suffering and providing plenty acroos the land.
Q.58. “Their lot forbade.” – What did their lot forbade?
Ans. Their lot in life not only prevented them doing good deeds but also prevented bad deeds such as killing enemies to gain the throne and refusing to show mercy to people.
Q.59. What bad deeds did the villagers’ lot prevent to do?
Ans. The villagers’ lot prevented them to do the bad deeds such as killing enemies to gain the throne and refusing to show mercy to people; hiding truth and shame and from bragging or using pretty or flattering words to gain luxuries and feed their pride.
Q.60. To what is the villagers’ secluded life compared?
Ans. Their secluded life is compared to a cool lonely valley because just as a valley is free from the storm that rage on the tops of the mountains, so was their life free from the disturbances that surround a great man engaged in important public affairs.
Q.61. How are gravestones of the dead rustics?
Ans. There are no ornamental decorations over their gravestones. Their gravestones are engraved with simple and uneducated words or decked with humble sculpture.
Q.62. What are the reasons for the memorials over the grave of the poor rustics?
Ans. No one wishes to get an oblivion curse. Life is full of struggle, people love to live and no one wishes to die without casting a regretful look behind. Even the poor when they die wish to be remembered long after their death.
Q.63. “Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day.’ – What is meant here?
Ans. The poor people died having the same regrets and longings as everyone else. They also longed to live longer and enjoy the days that would come in future.
Q.64. “Some pious drops of the closing eye requires.’ – What do the pious drops stand for?
Ans. The pious drops’ stand for tears. The dying person longs that he must have his dears and nears shedding tears at his deathbed. None wants to die unwept.
Q.65. What would happen if someone close to the poet would inquire about him after his death?
Ans. The poet visualizes that after his departure from this world some white haired peasants might say, “Often he was seen at daybreak, walking fast and sweeping the dew drops with his feet and reaching the churchyard at daybreak”.
Q.66. What may the white haired peasants say about what did the poet do during the noon?
Ans. The white haired peasant may say that the poet stretches himself in lazy manner during the noon, and ponders over the dead rustic by looking at the soft murmuring brook.
Q.67. What does the reference to the ‘hoary-headed swain’ suggest?
Ans. The reference to the ‘hoary-headed swain’ in Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard suggests Gray’s desire for recognition from the humble.
Q.68. How did the poet wonder close by the woods?
Ans. The poet, Thomas Gray wondered close by the woods. He would loiter aimlessly, sad and depressed. He was lonely, as appeared from his face. He was terribly worried about the hopelessness of love which made him so crazy.
Q.69. How does the poem Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard end?
Ans. The poem ends by saying that the speaker hopes not to be judged on earth for any of his flaws but to be remembered instead be judged by God who he now lives with.
Q.70. Explain ‘the mute inglorious Milton’ in this poem?
Ans. The poet refers to John Milton in this poem. Here the phrase stands for an obscure person is the poetic genius of John Milton, the poet of Paradise Lost.
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Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard Questions and Answers
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Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard Questions and Answers
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray Questions and Answers
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