Discuss Forum
1. Who composed the elegiac poem 'Thyrsis'?
- A. Thomas Gray
- B. Thomas Gray
- C. Thomas Gray
- D. Thomas Gray
Answer: Option B
Explanation:
The pastoral elegy "Thyrsis" was written by the English poet Matthew Arnold to commemorate his friend, Arthur Hugh Clough. Published in 1866, the poem uses rich pastoral imagery of the Oxford countryside to express Arnold's grief and explore themes of loss, friendship, and the enduring quest for truth and integrity.
Key aspects of Arnold's "Thyrsis":
Key aspects of Arnold's "Thyrsis":
- Poetic form: It is a long pastoral elegy, an honored form in English poetry, alongside Milton's Lycidas and Shelley's Adonais.
- Subject: The poem is a eulogy for Arthur Hugh Clough, who died in 1861. Arnold portrays his friend as the shepherd-poet Thyrsis.
- Themes: It reflects on the shared past of the friends at Oxford, the changes they faced in life, and the search for purpose and spiritual meaning in a complex world.
- Imagery: The poem is filled with images of the Oxford landscape, which Arnold and Clough explored together as students. The figure of the Scholar-Gipsy also appears as a symbol of a pure, noble quest for knowledge and integrity.
Post your comments here: