Thomas Gray
Thomas Gray
Thomas Graywas an English poet, letter-writer, classical scholar and professor at Pembroke College, Cambridge University. He is widely known for his Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, published in 1751...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth26 December 1716
poetry poetic breathe
Poetry is thoughts that breathe, and words that burn.
friendship no-friends rite
A fav'rite has no friend!
fate genius commerce
Commerce changes the fate and genius of nations.
ocean flower dark
Full many a gem of purest ray serene The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear: Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
path glory gray
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
daughter power iron
Daughter of Jove, relentless power, Thou tamer of the human breast, Whose iron scourge and tort'ring hour The bad affright, afflict the best!
towers london midnight
Ye towers of Julius, London's lasting shame, With many a foul and midnight murder fed.
voice wind joy
They hear a voice in every wind, And snatch a fearful joy.
pain moving grief
In buskined measures move Pale Grief and pleasing Pain, With Horror, tyrant of the throbbing breast.
atheist religion helping
There are certain scenes that would awe an atheist into belief without the help of any other argument.
flames track mind
Her track, where'er the goddess roves, Glory pursue, and gen'rous shame, Th' unconquerable mind, and freedom's holy flame.
distance sunset dark
In the evening, I walked alone down to the Lake by the side of Crow Park after sunset and saw the solemn coloring of night draw on, the last gleam of sunshine fading away on the hilltops, the seep serene of the asters, and the long shadows of the mountains thrown across them, till they nearly touched the hithermost shore. At distance hear the murmur of many waterfalls not audible in the day-time. Wished for the moon, but she was dark to me and silent, hid in her vacant interlunar cave.
simple simplicity poor
Nor grandeur hear with a disdainful smile The short and simple annals of the poor.
truth fiction fairy
And truth severe, by fairy fiction drest.