Thomas Gray Eman Poet Lib #20 (Everyman Poetry) [Paperback]

Thomas Gray (Author)

Book Description

Series: Everyman Poetry | Publication Date: January 15, 1997

Best known for his Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard Gray straddles the classical and romantic traditions in English poetry.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

English poet Thomas Gray (1716-1771) penned many wonderful poems in addition to the beloved and oft-quoted "Elegy Written in a Country Church-yard," but the "Elegy" is, by general consensus, his supreme achievement. It is fitting, then, that Mack, a lecturer in English at the University of Exeter, should open his excellent biographyAthe first major work on Gray's life in almost 50 yearsAwith a discussion of what he calls "one of the most moving and effective meditations on death ever to have been written in English." He posits Gray as a literary and historical forebear to such "AIDS elegists" as Thom Gunn, Paul Monette and Reynolds Price. Mack's reading of Gray's work is informed by contemporary critical theory (gender studies in particular), while archival research and new discoveries about Gray's family and personal life provide a fuller, clearer and more colorful picture of this seminal poet who so clearly prefigures the full flowering of English Romanticism. As for the life, Mack's thoroughAand thoroughly absorbingAaccount regards Gray's "romantic attachments" to various men more forthrightly than any previous biography. He sees in the poet's sexuality one of the "deeper, motivating subtexts of Gray's poetry." What we discover here is not an entirely new Thomas Gray, but new insights into the poet's life and ongoing concerns, which include "issues of perception, intuition, and poetic authority," as well as the "possible limits of human knowledge and experience," themes that continue to engage us more than 200 years after the poet's deathAand that will draw to this volume students of poetry, English literature and Romanticism. 50 illus. Agent, Stephanie Cabot, William Morris Agency. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Publisher

Founded in 1906 by J.M. Dent, the Everyman Library has always tried to make the best books ever written available to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible price. Unique editorial features that help Everyman Paperback Classics stand out from the crowd include: a leading scholar or literary critic's introduction to the text, a biography of the author, a chronology of her or his life and times, a historical selection of criticism, and a concise plot summary. All books published since 1993 have also been completely restyled: all type has been reset, to offer a clarity and ease of reading unique among editions of the classics; a vibrant, full-color cover design now complements these great texts with beautiful contemporary works of art. But the best feature must be Everyman's uniquely low price. Each Everyman title offers these extensive materials at a price that competes with the most inexpensive editions on the market-but Everyman Paperbacks have durable binding, quality paper, and the highest editorial and scholarly standards.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Orion Publishing Group, Ltd. (January 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0460878050
• ISBN-13: 978-0460878050
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,288,079 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thomas Gray come to life, August 18, 2007

By 

S. bollinger (Pa USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Thomas Gray: A Life (Hardcover)

Well, as close as you can get for this member of the 'Graveyard School' of poetry. Very well written and engaging book. Richly detailed in the history and atmosphere of the eighteenth century. All of Gray's (rather short) body of work is touched upon from early translations to his stiching together of lines from other poets (forerunner of William Burroughs cut-up method) to the classic 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard'. This book is not a dry read as it relies extensively on the use of the letters of Gray and Horace Walpole among others. Extremely well researched by Mr. Mack. I enjoyed this highly readable book from start to finish and recommended it to anyone with an interest in the "Graveyard School" of poetry or the eighteenth century in general.