Explore the famous stanza Nor you, ye Proud, impute to these the fault from Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, examining its deep social contrast and poetic meaning on english-grammarblog.blogspot.com.
What is the Meaning of Nor you, ye Proud, impute to these the fault?
Nor you, ye Proud, impute to these the fault
If Memory o'er their tomb no trophies raise,
Where through the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault
The pealing anthem swells the note of praise.
These lines have been quoted from the famous elegy, "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard", composed by Thomas Gray, an English poet of 18th century. These lines offer a criticism of the rich and proud people living in urban areas. The graves of the aristocratic urban people have been contrasted with the simple graves of the rustic villagers, and the contrast suggests sympathy for the poor villagers and criticism of the rich people.
How Does Thomas Gray Contrast the Rich and Poor?
Standing near the country church where the poor villagers are buried in simple graves having no costly decoration, the poet asks the people who are proud of their ancestry, power, beauty and wealth, not to blame the dead villagers for their inability to raise colourful, costly tombs. The rich people spend money to build vaults (tombs) over their graves and arrange anthem in praise of the dead.
The praise is almost always so high sounding that it deafens the ears of the listeners. The poet indicates that such praises are always artificial and motivated with the desire of show off. But the simple and unornamented tombs bear the touch of heart. The poet implies that after death, there remains no difference between the urban rich and the rural poor. Therefore, the decorated tomb or vaulted graveyard hardly means anything to the dead souls. Certainly these lines glorify the dead villagers and censure the rich people.
Key Takeaways
- The stanza comes from Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, an 18th-century English poem.
- It features a sharp contrast between the urban rich and the rural poor.
- The poet warns proud people not to criticize the poor for lacking costly tombs or trophies.
- Artifical praises and grand vaults are contrasted with simple graves that carry genuine heart.
Quick Practice
How does Thomas Gray contrast the graves of the urban rich with those of the rural poor in these lines? Write your answer in the comments below!
FAQ
Who composed the poem containing Nor you, ye Proud, impute to these the fault?
These lines were composed by Thomas Gray, a famous 18th-century English poet, in his renowned work "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard".
What criticism does the poet offer toward urban rich people?
The poet criticizes the rich and proud for their artificial praises, costly vaults, and their tendency to show off wealth even around graves, contrasting them with the sincere, simple graves of rustic villagers.
What is the significance of the simple and unornamented tombs?
The simple and unornamented tombs bear the touch of the heart and show that after death, there remains no real difference between the urban rich and the rural poor.