This blog is part of an Assignment for Paper 102- The Literature of Neo-classical Period.
Personal Information:-
Name:- Aakash Chavda
Batch:- M.A. Sem 1 (2023-2025)
Enrollment Number:- 5108230011
E-mail Address:- aakashchavda637@gmail.com
Roll Number:- 1
Assignment Details:-
Topic: 'Harmony in Melancholy: Thomas Gray's Mastery of the Pindaric Ode'
Paper & subject code:- 102 - Literature of The Neo-classical Period & 22393
Submitted to:- Smt. Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar.
Date of Submission:- 01 December,2023
Abstract
This study encompasses Thomas Gray's nuanced mastery of the Pindaric ode, where we can observe interplay of harmony and melancholy emerges as a poetic symphony. This exploration unfolds the structural complexities of Gray's engagement with the classical form of Pindaric ode, unraveling how he seamlessly weaves melancholic themes into the tapestry of his verses. Through a careful analysis of specific odes, discover the delicate balance that Gray strikes between the somber and the harmonious, showcasing a profound understanding of both form and emotion. This abstract sets the stage for a comprehensive journey into Gray's poetic landscape, where melancholy finds its exquisite resonance in the cadence of Pindaric expression.
Keywords: Pindaric ode, harmony and melancholy, classical form
Thomas Gray
"Poetry is thoughts that breathe and words that burn"
Thomas Gray, the poet and scholar, was born on December 26, 1716, in London to Philip and Dorothy Gray. Despite Dorothy giving birth to twelve children, Thomas was the sole survivor. In 1725, Dorothy separated from Philip and, using her own funds, sent Thomas to Eton College. Gray credits his education to his mother due to this decision. His time at Eton introduced him to his three closest friends: Richard West, Thomas Ashton, and Horace Walpole. Together, they formed the 'quadruple alliance' and shared nicknames reflecting their common interests in theater and French literature. Gray, passionate about Greek and French literature, was less interested in mathematics and philosophy. At Eton, he immersed himself in subjects like architecture, history, and botany. Gray's love for Virgil and reputation as a Latin verse writer began during this period. In 1734, he left Eton for Cambridge, where he was awarded the Cosin scholarship. However, in October 1736, he left Cambridge without pursuing the BA degree required for law studies at the Inner Temple. (Ferrari et al.)
In 1739, Gray's longtime companion, Horace Walpole, extended an invitation to journey through Europe together, a rare and appreciated opportunity. This not only promised educational benefits but also provided a compelling reason to defer a career in law. Grateful for this chance, Gray accepted Walpole's invitation, and on March 18, 1739, they commenced their travels from Dover to Calais. Their extensive exploration included a two-month stay in Paris, where they visited churches, attended operas and plays, and explored Versailles. They also ventured to Rheims to enhance their French skills and spent time at the monastery of the Grande Chartreuse in Geneva. Crossing the Alps, Gray immersed himself in reading Livy's account of Hannibal's journey through the same mountains they traversed. Additionally, he delved into Silius Italicus's poetic depiction of the mountainous crossing. Their journey took them to various cities such as Turin, Genoa, Piacenza, Parma, Reggio, Modena, and Bologna, eventually leading them to Florence. Choosing to spend the winter there, they delved into Florentine society and explored the art collections of Horace Mann. In March 1740, they headed to Rome with the hope of witnessing a papal election. However, the slow progress of the papal conclave prompted them to continue their travels to Naples, where they marveled at the well-preserved structures in the excavations at Herculaneum.
During this European expedition, Gray stumbled upon a philosophical poem in Latin hexameters titled 'De principiis cogitandi.' Though initially captivated, he abandoned the project after completing the first book, feeling he had achieved his artistic objectives. In 1741, despite a disagreement, Gray and Walpole left Florence for Venice, opting to travel separately thereafter.
In 1742, Thomas Gray and Richard West discussed literature via letters, inspiring Gray's first English poem, "Ode on the Spring." Sadly, West passed away before reading it. Gray, affected by West's death and later his father's, chose a career as a proctor in the Doctors' Commons. Despite finding Cambridge dull, he stayed there until his death in 1771, driven by the opportunity to live as a gentleman on a limited income and pursue his love for learning.
What is Poetic Form
Poetic form can be understood as the physical structure of a poem, which includes, among other things, the length of lines, their rhythms, their system of rhymes and repetition. In this sense, the term poetic form is usually reserved for the type of poem where these features have been shaped into a pattern, especially a familiar pattern.
There are 24 common English poetical form.
Ode
The word "ode" comes from the Greek aeidein, meaning to sing or chant, and belongs to the long and varied tradition of lyric poetry. Originally accompanied by music and dance, and later reserved by the Romantic poets to convey their strongest sentiments, it can be generalized as a formal address to an event, a person, or a thing not present. For examples, see William Wordsworth's "Ode on Intimations of Immortality From Recollections of Early Childhood" and Percy Shelley's 'Ode to the West Wind'
According to Cambridge Dictionary Ode is "A poem expressing the writer's thoughts and feelings about a particular person or subject, usually written to that person or subject".
'A work of art, piece of writing, speech, etc. That refers to or describes something in a personal and approving way'.
There are three distinct type of Odes
- Pindaric Ode
- Horatian Ode
-Irregular Ode
Here our concern is with Pindaric Ode, in which our poet Thomas Gray revel. Gray has written two Pindaric Odes "The Bard" And "The Progress of Poesy".
Pindaric Ode
Pindaric ode, ceremonious poem by or in the manner of Pindar, a Greek professional lyrist of the 5th century BC. Pindar employed the triadic structure attributed to Stesichorus (7th and 6th centuries BC), consisting of a strophe (two or more lines repeated as a unit) followed by a metrically harmonious antistrophe, concluding with a summary line (called an epode) in a different metre. These three parts corresponded to the movement of the chorus to one side of the stage, then to the other, and their pause midstage to deliver the epode.Although fragments of Pindar’s poems in all of the Classical choral forms are extant, it is the collection of four books of epinician odes that has influenced poets of the Western world since their publication by Aldus Manutius in 1513. Each of the books is devoted to one of the great series of Greek Classical games: the Olympian, Pythian, Isthmian, and Nemean. Celebrating the victory of a winner with a performance of choral chant and dance, these epinician odes are elaborately complex, rich in metaphor and intensely emotive language. They reveal Pindar’s sense of vocation as a poet dedicated to preserving and interpreting great deeds and their divine values.
The metaphors, myths, and gnomic sayings that ornament the odes are often difficult to grasp because of the rapid shifts of thought and the sacrifice of syntax to achieving uniform poetic colour. For modern readers, another difficulty is the topicality of the works; they were often composed for particular occasions and made reference to events and personal situations that were well-known to the original audience but not necessarily to later readers.
Examples of Famous Pindaric Odes
•Abraham Cowley's "Pindarique Odes" (1656), John Dryden’s “Alexander’s Feast” (1697), William Wordsworth’s “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood,” Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind,” Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s “Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington,” and John Keats’s “Ode on a Grecian Urn.”
Interplay of Harmony and Melancholy in Gray's Odes
"The paths of glory lead but to the grave."
Thomas Gray has always held a peculiar attraction for the classicist. Standing as he does in full passion of the literary legacy of Pope and Dryden, yet with his face turned over so slightly toward the breaking light of the dawn of Romanticism, he embodies within himself, in an exceptionally clear form, the changing tenor of his times and enables one to see perhaps a little more clearly than anywhere else what the classicism of his was and the source whence it sprang. In 1754 gray completed a poem which he said "an ode in Greek manner". It was later called, The Progress of Poesy, its theme the growth and spread of poetry from Greece to Italy, and from Italy to England. In 1757 another Pindaric ode called The Bard together with the Progress of Poesy was printed. In The Bard gray abandoning classical themes entirely, composed on a tradition that Edward 1,after conquering Wales, ordered all the bards of that country to put to death. These two poem were introduced by words from Pindar. These Pindaric odes were the last great poem that Gray ever wrote. Now in them especially in The Bard begun to appear new elements- ideas and subjects strange to the literary lord of his day. Dr. Jonson, calling Grays odes " Wonderful wonder of wonders ".
We all know now just how far Gray was from Romanticism, just how hard for him to understand Shelley and Keats. In spite of his innovations and of the fears of his critics, we know he remained essentially a classicist. He also failed in a certain sense in his Pindaric odes as well.
“Cold is Cadwallo's tongue, / That hush'd the stormy main;"
These lines are from "The Bard". In this line, Gray mourns Cadwallo's silenced voice, finding sadness in its absence. Yet, there's a harmonious beauty in remembering Cadwallo's poetic power to calm storms. The interplay of these emotions creates a bittersweet tone in the verses.
"Yet, ah! why should they know their fate? / Since sorrow never comes too late,"
These lines are from the Pindaric ode "The Progress of Poesy". Gray muses on the connection between knowing one's fate and the arrival of sorrow. The lines suggest a harmonious acceptance of the inevitability of sorrow, expressing a poignant blend of understanding and melancholy.
Conclusion
To wind up, Thomas Gray's "Harmony in Melancholy" showcases his remarkable skill in crafting the Pindaric Ode, and considered to be greatest as Dryden and Pope, despite of his total contribution in poetry is less than thousand lines. He seamlessly blends emotions and intellect, transcending conventional melancholy to create a source of artistic inspiration. Gray's adept navigation of human emotion achieves a subtle harmony that captivates readers across generations, and it is necessary to read him in order to know more about the age he lived in.
References
- Ferrari, Danielle, et al. “Thomas Gray | British Literature Wiki.” WordPress at UD |, https://sites.udel.edu/britlitwiki/thomas-gray/. Accessed 25 November 2023.
- Griffin, M. H. “Thomas Gray, Classical Augustan.” The Classical Journal, vol. 36, no. 8, 1941, pp. 473–82. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3291087. Accessed 26 Nov. 2023.
- van Gogh, Vincent. “Pindaric ode | Ancient Greek Poetry Form.” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/art/Pindaric-ode. Accessed 26 November 2023.
- Yeats, WB. “Poetic Forms in English Literature.” Owlcation, 24 October 2023, https://owlcation.com/humanities/Poetic-Forms-in-English-Literature. Accessed 26 November 2023.
Word Count (1683)
Images Used (2)
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