Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" is a poem by Thomas Gray, completed in 1750 and first published in 1751. The poem's origins are unknown, but it was partly inspired by Gray's thoughts following the death of the poet Richard West in 1742. Originally titled Stanzas Wrote in a Country Church-Yard, the poem was completed when Gray was living near the Church of St Giles, Stoke Poges.
Thomas Parnell (poet)Thomas Parnell (11 September 1679 – 24 October 1718) was an Anglo-Irish poet and clergyman who was a friend of both Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift. He was born in Dublin, the eldest son of Thomas Parnell (died 1685) of Maryborough, Queen's County (now Portlaoise, County Laois), a prosperous landowner who had been a loyal supporter of Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War and moved from Congleton, Cheshire to Ireland after the Restoration of Charles II.
The Grave (poem)"The Grave" is a blank verse poem by the Scottish poet Robert Blair. It is the work for which he is primarily renowned. According to Blair, in a letter he wrote to Philip Doddridge, the greater part of the poem was composed before he became a minister. Edinburgh editor and publisher John Johnstone stated that it was composed whilst Blair was still a student, although "probably corrected and amplified by his more matured judgement."
Edward YoungEdward Young (c. 3 July 1683 – 5 April 1765) was an English poet, best remembered for Night-Thoughts, a series of philosophical writings in blank verse, reflecting his state of mind following several bereavements. It was one of the most popular poems of the century, influencing Goethe and Edmund Burke, among many others, and at the end of the century was illustrated by William Blake.
Night-ThoughtsThe Complaint: or, Night-Thoughts on Life, Death, & Immortality, better known simply as Night-Thoughts, is a long poem by the English poet Edward Young, published in nine parts (or "nights") between 1742 and 1745. It was illustrated with notable engravings by William Blake. The poem records Young's musings on death as he ponders the loss of his wife and friends, and as he laments human frailties. A famous line points out how quickly life and opportunities can slip away.Robert Blair (poet)Rev Robert Blair (17 April 1699 – 4 February 1746) was a Scottish poet. His fame rests upon his poem The Grave, which in a later printing was illustrated by William Blake.
Gothic fictionRomance, horror and death literary genreMary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818) has come to define Gothic fiction in the Romantic period. Frontispiece to 1831 edition shown, featuring Victor Frankenstein fleeing in disgust from his monster.Gothic fiction, often referred to as Gothic horror (primarily in the 20th century), is a literary aesthetic of fear and haunting.
DeathDeath is the end of an organism's life. It is the irreversible cessation of biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death is inevitable for all living things, as nature's tendency to disorder will cause all living systems to degrade and fail through various causes. The identification of the moment of death presents certain difficulties. A person may experience clinical death that is reversible, resulting in some cases in a near-death experience.RomanticismArtistic and intellectual movementCaspar David Friedrich, Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, 1818Eugène Delacroix, Death of Sardanapalus, 1827, taking its Orientalist subject from a play by Lord ByronPhilipp Otto Runge, The Morning, 1808Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century.ElegyAn elegy is a poem or song of serious reflection, expressing feelings of melancholy, grief or extreme sorrow. It is not to be confused with a eulogy, which is a speech or writing in praise of a dead person. However, according to The Oxford Handbook of the Elegy, "For all of its pervasiveness ...
Sublime (philosophy)In aesthetics, the sublime (from Latin sublīmis 'uplifted, lofty, exalted, etc.; elevated, raised') is the quality of greatness, whether physical, moral, intellectual, metaphysical, aesthetic, spiritual, or artistic. The term especially refers to a greatness beyond all possibility of calculation, measurement, or imitation.
AntiquarianAn antiquarian or antiquary (from Latin antiquarius 'pertaining to ancient times') is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artefacts, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.