Thomas Gray’s 1757 poem “The Progress of Poesy: A Pindaric Ode” is an allusion-packed description of different poets and poetic styles from the ancient Greeks to the Enlightenment. The title, structure, and content of Gray’s ode are closely tied to the Ancient Greeks. Even in the structure of his ode, Gray tries to tie his poetry to the legendary poets of the past by using the notoriously difficult Pindaric form (made famous by the Greek poet Pindar). The Pindaric structure of the poem is important to note because it ties to one of the core ideas Gray communicates in his lyrics.
In the nine stanzas of the poem, Gray praises the Muses who inspired the poets of the past chronologically. Beginning with the Ancient Greeks, moving to the Roman and Italian poets, and ending with English poets such as Dryden and Shakespeare, Gray attempts to describe “poesy” as a single heritage inspired by universal human emotions.
There are two central ideas that Gray communicates in his poem “Progress of Poesy.” The first is that poetry is powerful, as evidenced by its presence in human communities across time and geography. Gray’s repeated references to ancients singing poetry and echoing from the rugged hills of Greece and Italy are evidence of this point. The second and most important central idea of Gray’s ode is that English poets owe a debt to the Ancient Greeks and Romans. Gray posits that English poetry is built on an ancient foundation and suggests that the Muses of Ancient Greece are still active in England.
I hope this helps!
Sunday, September 3, 2017
Give the central idea of the poem "Progress of Poesy."
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