• Full Title: Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
• Original Title: Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
• Author: Thomas Gray (1716–1771)
• Written Date: 1742–1750 (written gradually over several years)
• Published Date: 1751 
• First Published In: The Magazine of Magazines (1751); later printed separately
• Genre: Elegy; Meditative and Reflective Poem; Graveyard Poetry
• Form: Heroic Quatrains (four-line stanzas)
• Rhyme Scheme: ABAB in each quatrain
• Total Lines: 128 (excluding the Epitaph)
• Total Stanzas: 32 quatrains (Elegy) plus an Epitaph
• Meter: Iambic Pentameter (each line has five rhythmic beats)
• Tone: Calm, Melancholic, Reflective, Noble, Sympathetic
• Point of View: First-person lyrical meditation by the poet
• Climax: When the poet imagines how the villagers will describe him after death, and introduces the “Epitaph,” which speaks as his final self-portrait.
• Famous Line: “The paths of glory lead but to the grave.” 
• Atmosphere: Quiet, rural, twilight mood; filled with stillness, sadness, dignity, and deep thought.
• Setting:

• Time Setting: Sunset moving toward night; calm evening that slowly darkens
• Place Setting: An old country churchyard, surrounded by nature, trees, graves, and a village landscape

Key Notes – English

• Original Title – Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard: The title “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” directly reveals the nature and setting of the poem. It is an elegy, meaning a poem of mourning and remembrance. The poet stands in a village churchyard and reflects on the quiet deaths of common people, their unknown lives, and the universal truth of death. The words “Country Churchyard” highlight rural simplicity, the peaceful beauty of nature, and the humble fate of ordinary people. The title itself shows that this is not a lament for one person, but a tribute to countless unnamed lives lost in silence.
• Elegy: An elegy is a type of poem that expresses deep feelings about sorrow, death, loss, and the shortness of human life. Its tone is usually calm, serious, and melancholic. In an elegy, the poet may mourn a loved one, reflect on the fate of unknown people, or meditate on the sadness and inequalities of life. Quiet natural scenes like evening light, still landscapes, and solitary graveyards often make the emotional atmosphere stronger. The aim of an elegy is not only to express grief but also to remind readers of the value of life, the truth of death, and the dignity of human existence. Thomas Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” is an excellent example of this form, where he looks at the graves of forgotten villagers and discovers deep truths about human life.