Thomas Gray

1716-1771. Predominant poetic figure of the mid 18th century, English poet, classical scholar and professor at Cambridge University.

He was born in Cambridge on 26th of December in 1716. He was the fifth child of twelve, all of whom died in their infancy. His parents were Dorothy Antrobas and Philip Gray, who shared the same background of commerce. Gray reached the Upper School in 1729 and learned at an early age to look after himself and to pursue his own independent line. He developed very early an ambitious interest for books, literature and languages. At Eton he began reading Virgil for his own amusement and exercised for fun verses in Latin, which turned out to be good, and 70 years later quoted by Jacob Bryant. Eton marked the significant and impressive period of his life, which had influence on his poems. His love for poetry was influenced by his interest for English history, which may be traced back to his time at Eton. At the age of thirteen, Thomas Gray became a member of a small clique called the “Quadruple Alliance”, whose leader was Horace Walpole, the youngest son of Sir Robert Walpole. In 1734 Gray went to the Peterhouse at Cambridge. He came into residence at Cambridge on 9th October and a week later was elected to a Bible Clerkship. Almost a year later he exchanged his Bible clerkship for a Hale Scholarship. At Cambridge he wrote the Tripos verses “Luna Habitabilis”. During his studies at Cambridge he preferred Latin, French, Italian, Greek, architecture, history, but disliked mathematics and philosophy. In a letter to Horace Ashton he writes: “What for do I need metaphysics?” His poems are filled with reminiscences of other languages and literature, of life and death [which poems aren't?]. In 1738 Gray travelled with his friend Walpole to Italy and stayed there almost for two and a half years. At that time Gray was almost 25 years old, and was yet unqualified for a profession at all. He did not want Walpole, who had influential power in many quarters, to help him out. His several journeys to Italy and France had influenced his works in language and expression, e. g. the Alcaic Ode. Only in 1742, Thomas Gray started writing serious poetry, after the death of his close friend Richard West. In 1757 he was offered the position of Poet Laureate, which he instantly refused (in a very impressive letter). During his lifetime Gray wrote not more than thirteen poems [really? or do you mean "published"?]. One of the impressive reminiscences during his lifetime were letters written to Walpole, Ashton, West, Mason etc. Subjects such as death and mortality were an issue in Gray’s poems. Hence he belonged to the group of the so called “Graveyard poets”. Gray’s "Elegy written in a country church–yard" belonged to this graveyard genre. Another significant and impressive poem is the "Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat, Drowned in a Tub of Gold Fishes", which was dedicated to Horace Walpole, at least to his cat. In search for inspiration, Thomas Gray looked always for new settings. He adored new architecture, monuments and yards, which made a big impression on him and thus influenced the language and the beauty of his poetry, such as is the Elegy. In 1771 Gray’s illness and death came as a surprise to his friends. It was suspected that he suffered of stomach gout. He died on July 30th in Cambridge alone. His close friend Horace Walpole was in Paris and learned of his friend’s death by chance from a newspaper. Sir Egerton Brydges, English bibliographer, recorded his impressions about Thomas Gray as following: “He was a man of numerous accomplishments – brilliant, original and enthusiastic - and of varied, though light, erudition. He was talkative and conceited; bur amusing, and, in the common sense, amiable. An absolute model of gallantry, he always paid compliments to the youngest belle in the room, even to his last days.” Another quotation made by Walpole to Cole [who is Cole?] about Gray was: “Our long, very long friendship and his genius must endear to me everything that relates to him.”

W. Edmund, Gosse: Gray; English man of Letters. London: Publishing House????, 1882.

R. W., Ketton – Cremer: Gray; a Biography. Cambridge: Publishing House????, 1955.

Duncan C., Tovey: The Letters of Thomas Gray; including the correspondence of Gray and Mason. Volume III. London: Publishing House????, 1912.