Thomas Gray

1. Thomas Gray Brian Buchter and Ryan Fox http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca

2. Biography • Thomas Gray was born December 26, 1716 at 41 Cornhill London. He was one of twelve children. He was the only one to survive childhood out of his brothers and sisters. From 1725 to 1734, Gray attended Eton college. His mother paid for his education. At college, he took interest in entomology and botany, along with poetry classes. In 1742, Gray wrote his most famous poems including Ode on the Spring, Hymn to Ignorance, and Ode to Adversity. In 1747 he got married. In 1748 appeared the first three volume of Dodsley’s collection, which contained Ode on the Spring and the poem Ode on the Death of my Favorite Cat, Drowned in a Tub of Goldfishes. Gray died on July 30, 1771. In 1790, a monument to Grays memory was erected in the Stoke Poges.

3. Accomplishments • Thomas Gray was a well recognized poet in England. He was one of the finest poets from England at the time. When he died a monument was erected in his honor. He is known as one of England’s finest poets. When he was alive he was awarded many honors for his poetic works.

4. Historical, literary, and social context for poem • When Thomas Gray wrote this poem his best friends cat had just died. Thomas Gray wrote this poem to try and cheer up his friend. That is way he made the poem a comedic poem.

5. Twas on a lofty vase's side,Where China's gayest art had dyed. The azure flow's that blow;Demurest of the tabby kind,The pensive Selima, reclined,Gazed on the lake below.Her conscious tail her joy declared; The fair round face, the snowy beard, The velvet of her paws, Her coat, that with the tortoise vies, Her ears of jet, and emerald eyes, She saw: and purred applause.Still had she gazed; but 'midst the tide. Two angel forms were seen to glide, The Genii of the stream;Their scaly armor's Tyrian hueThro' richest purple to the viewBetrayed a golden gleam. The hapless Nymph with wonder saw:A whisker first and then a claw,With many an ardent wish,She stretched in vain to reach the prize.What female heart can gold despise?What cat's averse to fish? The hapless Nymph with wonder saw:A whisker first and then a claw,With many an ardent wish,She stretched in vain to reach the prize.What female heart can gold despise?What cat's averse to fish?Presumptuous Maid! with looks intentAgain she stretched, again she bent,Nor knew the gulf between.(Malignant Fate sat by, and smiled)The slippery verge her feet beguiled,She tumbled headlong in.Eight times emerging from the floodShe mewed to every watery god,Some speedy aid to send.No Dolphin came, no Nereid stirred;Nor cruel Tom, nor Susan heard.A Favorite has no friend!From hence, ye Beauties, undeceived,Know, one false step is ne'er retrieved,And be with caution bold.Not all that tempts your wandering eyesAnd heedless hearts is lawful prize,Nor all, that glisters, gold. Ode On The Death Of A Favorite Cat Drowned In A Tub Of Goldfishes

6. Poetic Structure and Rhyme Scheme • The rhyme scheme of Ode On The Death Of AFavorite Cat Drowned In A Tub Of Goldfishes is AABCCB. The poetic structure of the poem is a Thematic Structure.

7. Poem Overview • The poem is meant to be a comedic outlook on a tragic event. The tragic event in the poem is the death of the man’s favorite cat. The comedy is that it drowned in a tub of goldfishes.

8. Summary • The cat was just trying to get some food when it fell in to a tub of goldfishes where it eventually died. The cat was tempted by the fish swimming around and finally gave into that temptation. The cat tried its best to survive but it just couldn’t stop itself from drowning. The cat even tried to call to a water god to rescue it but it never received help.

9. Form • The form/structure of Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat, Drowned in aTub of Goldfishes is a Horatian Ode.

10. Literary Devices • Gray uses word choice, allusions, and repetition in this poem. He uses allusions when the cat is praying to the water god for help. He repeats that the cat is drowning in a tub of goldfishes many times in this poem. Word choice is the wording that Gray used in the poem. Allusion is when the object in the poem sees things that are not there. Repetition is saying the same thing over and over to get a point across.

11. Works Cited • Thomas Gray (1716-1771)." http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca. 20 Apr. 2004. 21 Feb. 2008 <http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poem/885.html>. • "The Thomas Gray Archives." Thomasgray.Org. 03 Dec. 2007. 21 Feb. 2008 <http://www.thomasgray.org/materials/bio.shtml>. • "The Dead Kitty in Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat (Favorite)." 123HelpMe.com. 21 Feb 2008     <http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=7339>.