Question

Respond in a paragraph. The answer is written in complete sentences.

Thomas Gray has sometimes been classified as a pre-Romantic writer. Romantic writers valued emotional experience over logical arguments, nature and common people over organized society, and imagination over reason. What evidence from "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" supports Gray's classification as a pre-Romantic? Your response should be at least one paragraph long.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

One piece of evidence from "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" that supports Thomas Gray's classification as a pre-Romantic writer is his emphasis on nature and common people over organized society. Throughout the poem, Gray explores the lives and experiences of the rural community. He celebrates the ordinary, anonymous individuals buried in the churchyard and contemplates the simple joys and sorrows of their lives. This focus on the lives of common people aligns with the Romantic emphasis on valuing the experiences and emotions of everyday individuals over the grandeur and hierarchy of organized society. Gray's description of nature in the poem also reflects a pre-Romantic sensibility. He paints vivid and detailed scenes of the churchyard's surrounding landscape, showcasing his appreciation for the beauty of the natural world. This appreciation for nature is a hallmark of Romanticism, where writers often celebrated and found solace in the natural world. Thus, Gray's exploration of the lives of common people and his appreciation for the natural world in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" both support his classification as a pre-Romantic writer.