nature of contemporary society The Passing of Time In Thyrsis Arnold directly addresses the passage of time and its impact on both his personal life and the broader world The poem is an elegy for his friend Arthur Hugh Clough Arnold writes Here came I often often in old days Thyrsis and I we still had Thyrsis then The elegiac tone in this poem is evident in Arnold s reflections on how time has changed the landscape and his own experiences Nostalgia for the Past Both poems earlier discussed convey a strong sense of nostalgia for a past In The Scholar-Gypsy Arnold contrasts the scholar s timeless quest with the world of men This nostalgia is a form of elegy for a past ideal that cannot be recaptured Similarly in Thyrsis Arnold reflects on the idealized pastoral world He expresses a deep sense of loss for the simpler more beautiful world of the past The Role of Nature Nature plays a significant role in conveying the elegiac tone in both poems In The Scholar-Gypsy the scholar s journey is intertwined with the natural world Arnold uses the natural setting to emphasize the scholar s eternal search and the poet s sense of loss In Thyrsis nature is also central to the elegiac mood Here the poet describes the shepherd s field followingly That sweet city with her dreaming spires This line symbolizes a timeless beauty that remains even as individual lives end The Legacy of Friendship The elegiac tone in Thyrsis is deeply connected to Arnold s sense of personal loss and the legacy of friendship The poem reflects on the impact of Clough s death and the void it leaves in Arnold s life He writes Our friend the Gipsy-Scholar was not dead While the tree lived he in these fields lived on This excerpt symbolizes the end of a cherished relationship and the poet s enduring grief In conclusion Matthew Arnold s The Scholar-Gypsy and Thyrsis both utilize elegiac tones vividly This tone explores themes of loss nostalgia and the passage of time Through these poems Arnold reflects on the idealism of the past the impact of time and the personal grief of losing a friend His use of elegy highlights his deep sense of mourning and longing for a world that seems to be slipping away