Thomas Gray wrote poems of great beauty and he was offered the position of Poet Laureate in 1757. However, Gray declined the offer. Gray was born in Cornhill on 26th December 1716, to Philip Gray and Dorothy Antrobus. They had twelve children. Among them, only Thomas Gray reached adulthood. Gray gained admission to Peterhouse College in Cambridge University, but he failed to get a degree.
Gray was known for his elegies. An elegy is a sad poem, usually dedicated to the dead. Thomas Gray’s works played a key role in inspiring the beginnings of the Romantic Movement. Gray began writing poetry in 1742. ‘An Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard’, published in 1751, was his masterpiece. This poem brought him name and fame. ‘Ode on the Spring’, ‘Sonnet on the Death of Mr. Richard West’, ‘and Hymn to Adversity’ and ‘Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College’ are some of his other famous poems. Gray was hugely popular with the reading public, but he was a perfectionist who published just thirteen poems in his lifetime.
Thomas Gray’s works played an important role in inspiring the coming generations. Gray ranks second in significance among the poets of the eighteenth century.
