- Series
- A nest of singing birds
- Air Date
- Duration
- 00:30:00
- Episode Description
- Series Description
- Subject(s)
- Creator(s)
- Contributors
- Genre(s)
- Geographic Region(s)
- regions
- Time Period
- 1961-1970
[00:12 - 00:20]
A nest of singing birds. Three centuries of English verse with a doctorate from Joseph.
[00:20 - 00:24]
Gray's Elegy another talk on this poem a poem about us
[00:24 - 00:29]
all telling us all how much we have in common with the dead in Stoke poaches
[00:29 - 00:34]
churchyard beneath those rugged elms that huge
[00:34 - 00:39]
trees shade where he was the in many a moldering heap
[00:39 - 00:43]
each in his narrow cell for ever laid
[00:43 - 00:48]
the rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.
[00:48 - 00:53]
Gray is conscious of the waste of potential talent in the poor. He is also conscious of their
[00:53 - 00:55]
inability to commit great crimes.
[00:55 - 01:01]
The applause of listening Senates to command the threats of pain and ruin to
[01:01 - 01:06]
despise to scatter plenty over a smiling land and read their
[01:06 - 01:10]
history in the nation's eyes. Their lot for bad
[01:10 - 01:16]
nor circumscribed alone their growing virtues. But their crimes
[01:16 - 01:21]
confined for badly to wade through slaughter too were thrown out
[01:21 - 01:25]
and shut the gates of mercy on mankind.
[01:25 - 01:30]
Last week we read the first 19 stanzas in them grave reminds the
[01:30 - 01:35]
living of how much they have in common with the dead. He says quite rightly that the
[01:35 - 01:40]
humble dead require memorial should be remembered as human beings no less than the rich and
[01:40 - 01:44]
proud when the rich die. They're no less dead than the poor
[01:44 - 01:50]
the famous are no more alive than the unknown. The poem
[01:50 - 01:54]
starts with the darkening countryside from which the living are departing with the day to
[01:54 - 01:59]
places of rest for the night. They will return tomorrow.
[01:59 - 02:04]
Gracie's the graves of the villagers and contemplates the scenes of life which they will never
[02:04 - 02:09]
know again. He insists that he is justified in writing energy
[02:09 - 02:14]
on them as on the famous. Here lies some who had no opportunity to
[02:14 - 02:18]
use or misuse their talents who were unable to rule or
[02:18 - 02:23]
misrule nations who did not defend their rights on murder flatter and
[02:23 - 02:25]
deceive.
[02:25 - 02:29]
They lived a quiet life of moderation far from the madding
[02:29 - 02:34]
crowd the ignoble strife their sober wishes never
[02:34 - 02:40]
to stray along the cool sequestered vale of life.
[02:40 - 02:43]
They kept the noiseless tend out of their way.
[02:43 - 02:50]
Yet even these bones from insult to protect some
[02:50 - 02:55]
frail memorial still erected NYE with uncouth rhymes
[02:55 - 02:59]
and shapeless sculpture de implores the passing tribute
[02:59 - 03:01]
of a sigh.
[03:01 - 03:05]
But despite their poverty and obscurity these village did have some sort of
[03:05 - 03:10]
memorial. This says Gray's as much as anyone can hope for every
[03:10 - 03:15]
living man and woman every dying man and woman wants to be remembered with love.
[03:15 - 03:20]
Not not just to be forgotten as if he or she had never happened and is of no interest to
[03:20 - 03:25]
anyone still alive at all yet even these bones from
[03:25 - 03:30]
insult to protect some frail memorial still erected nigh
[03:30 - 03:34]
with uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture de
[03:34 - 03:38]
implores the passing tribute of a sigh
[03:38 - 03:44]
their name their years spelt by the unlettered knew
[03:44 - 03:50]
the place of fame and Elegy supply and many a holy
[03:50 - 03:54]
text around he strews that teach the rustic moralist to die.
[03:54 - 04:01]
For who. Don't forget fullness of prey. This pleasing anxious
[04:01 - 04:06]
being resigned left the warm precincts of the cheerful day
[04:06 - 04:11]
nor cast one longing lingering look behind
[04:11 - 04:17]
on some fond breast the parting soul real lives some pious
[04:17 - 04:22]
drops the closing I requires even from the tomb the voice of
[04:22 - 04:27]
nature cries even in our ashes live there
[04:27 - 04:29]
wanted fires.
[04:29 - 04:34]
Last week we noticed Gray's joke about the lifelessness of an animated portrait bust
[04:34 - 04:39]
so it shouldn't come as a surprise to find that he has a sense of humor. He shows it again
[04:39 - 04:44]
now but this is much less bitter. He imagines himself dead
[04:44 - 04:49]
and thought of remembered by the country folk whom he has met from time to time.
[04:49 - 04:54]
He who has compassion to remember the unknown a dead may suddenly be missed by a friend
[04:54 - 04:55]
like himself.
[04:55 - 05:01]
For the WHO mindful of the dead dust in
[05:01 - 05:05]
these lines their artless tale relate if
[05:05 - 05:10]
chance by lonely contemplation led to some kindred spirit shall
[05:10 - 05:12]
inquire thy fate.
[05:12 - 05:17]
One moment the poet was alive keeping a sort of routine the rustics can
[05:17 - 05:22]
rely upon seeing him some time or other from day to day. Then suddenly he doesn't appear.
[05:22 - 05:27]
He's gone from one day to the next. Two days later his funeral
[05:27 - 05:31]
takes place. A few words need to be explained here
[05:31 - 05:36]
by hoary headed Swain Gray means white haired countryman
[05:36 - 05:41]
upland alone means a great expanse of flat grass land on higher
[05:41 - 05:45]
ground to meet the sun upon the upland lawn.
[05:45 - 05:52]
To pour upon means to stare closely at look at from nearby
[05:52 - 05:57]
so to pore upon the brook is to stare closely into the stream.
[05:57 - 06:02]
Wayward means peevish muttering his wayward fancies that is his
[06:02 - 06:07]
peevish imaginings like one full on means like one in
[06:07 - 06:07]
despair.
[06:07 - 06:13]
In these verses we can enjoy a very holy to rightful ability to laugh at himself as he
[06:13 - 06:18]
must seem to the country folk a strange rap kind of person who never does
[06:18 - 06:22]
anything useful doesn't set his hands of the plough doesn't sit with a gentleman in Quarter
[06:22 - 06:26]
Sessions doesn't carry out some trade knows no craft or two or
[06:26 - 06:32]
haply some hoary headed Swain may say after
[06:32 - 06:37]
we seen him at the people of dawn brushing with hasty steps the DO's away to meet
[06:37 - 06:42]
the sun upon the upland lawn where at the foot of yonder nodding
[06:42 - 06:47]
beach that revisits old fantastic roots so high his listless length
[06:47 - 06:52]
at noontide would he stretch and pore upon the brook that babbles
[06:52 - 06:57]
by hard by yon would now smiling as in
[06:57 - 07:01]
scorn muttering his wayward fancies he would roll
[07:01 - 07:06]
now drooping like one full on or
[07:06 - 07:09]
crazed with care or crossed in a hopeless love.
[07:09 - 07:16]
One more and I missed him on the custom hill along the heath and near its
[07:16 - 07:18]
favorite tree.
[07:18 - 07:23]
Another came nor yet beside the real nor up the lawn nor at the
[07:23 - 07:23]
wall.
[07:23 - 07:28]
Was he the next with dirges due
[07:28 - 07:33]
in sad array slow through the church way path. We saw him
[07:33 - 07:38]
board approach and read for thou canst read to the lay
[07:38 - 07:41]
graved on the stone beneath yon aged thorn
[07:41 - 07:47]
where scattered oft the earliest of the year by hands unseen are
[07:47 - 07:52]
showers of violets found the red breast loves to build and
[07:52 - 07:57]
warble there and little footsteps lightly print the ground.
[07:57 - 08:03]
Now follows the epitaph which the imaginary friend will see on the poet's gravestone but
[08:03 - 08:09]
here rests his head upon the lap of earth are you to
[08:09 - 08:14]
fortune and to fame unknown fair science frowned
[08:14 - 08:18]
not on his humble and melancholy and marked him for her
[08:18 - 08:19]
own.
[08:19 - 08:25]
Large was his bounty and his soul sincere.
[08:25 - 08:30]
Heaven did a recompense as a largely set and he gave to
[08:30 - 08:35]
misery all he had a tear he
[08:35 - 08:36]
gained from heaven.
[08:36 - 08:39]
It was all he wished.
[08:39 - 08:43]
Our friend no farther seek his merits to
[08:43 - 08:48]
disclose or draw his frailties from their dread abode.
[08:48 - 08:53]
There they are like in trembling hope repose the
[08:53 - 08:58]
bosom of his father and his God.
[08:58 - 09:03]
If we like we can assume that this is what Grace himself wants to be remembered for.
[09:03 - 09:10]
There is not unusual tone to the poem. It's sophisticated and penetrating in its
[09:10 - 09:14]
vision but tolerant Urbin and natural grace sees he
[09:14 - 09:18]
doesn't deceive himself but he is not bitter.
[09:18 - 09:22]
How different is the tone of London by Samuel Johnson this
[09:22 - 09:27]
mournful Truth is everywhere confessed slow
[09:27 - 09:32]
rises worth by poverty and deep press.
[09:32 - 09:38]
But here more slow. Where are all our slaves to go.
[09:38 - 09:43]
Well look some merchandise and smile. So where
[09:43 - 09:48]
one by bribes by flattery is employed the groom retail's the
[09:48 - 09:53]
favors of his lowered great also knows about the dead weight of poverty and
[09:53 - 09:54]
want.
[09:54 - 09:58]
But unlike Johnson he didn't experience it himself. Johnson actually suffered
[09:58 - 10:03]
years of poverty and want. But he wouldn't allow the childe penury to freeze the genial
[10:03 - 10:08]
current of his soul. He fought and won. He spoke for all
[10:08 - 10:12]
striving artists who see help offered and given only to those who have proved that they don't
[10:12 - 10:17]
need it. When he was about to start on his dictionary he waited upon the Earl of
[10:17 - 10:22]
Chesterfield hoping to receive patronage from that my seniors in
[10:22 - 10:26]
1747 a group of London booksellers commission Johnson to write his famous dictionary.
[10:26 - 10:32]
They allowed him the sum of fifteen hundred guineas out of which he had to pay a number of assistants
[10:32 - 10:37]
and the work was full time to complete it. He needed more money. A
[10:37 - 10:42]
prospectus was sent to the Earl of Chesterfield and brought a small sum but whenever
[10:42 - 10:47]
Johnson called on the heiress to credit residence he was steadily met with the words that his lordship was
[10:47 - 10:52]
not at home. Seven years later when the dictionary was about to appear the earl
[10:52 - 10:56]
sent two papers to the periodical of the world praising it. Not
[10:56 - 11:01]
unnaturally somewhat incensed Johnson addressed a letter to his lordship
[11:01 - 11:06]
reminding him seven years my lord had now passed since I waited in your outward
[11:06 - 11:10]
rooms. I was repulsed from your door during which time I have been pushing on my
[11:10 - 11:15]
work through difficulties of which it is useless to complain and have brought it at last
[11:15 - 11:20]
to the verge of publication without one active assistance. One word of carriage
[11:20 - 11:25]
mint or one smile a favor. Such treatment I did not expect for I
[11:25 - 11:30]
never had a patron before. Is not a patron my lord. One
[11:30 - 11:35]
who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the waters and when
[11:35 - 11:40]
he has reached ground incumbant him with help. Johnson was writing of his own
[11:40 - 11:45]
bitter life in 1738 in the lines. This mournful Truth is everywhere
[11:45 - 11:49]
confessed slow rises worth by poverty depressed
[11:49 - 11:55]
this mournful Truth is everywhere accepted. That is the meaning of confessed
[11:55 - 11:59]
accepted. Now here is grey.
[11:59 - 12:03]
But knowledge to their eyes her ample page rich with the spoils of time did
[12:03 - 12:05]
near unroll.
[12:05 - 12:10]
Jill penury repressed their noble rage and
[12:10 - 12:13]
froze the genial current of the soul.
[12:13 - 12:18]
Johnson is involved in his own experience great deeply compassionately
[12:18 - 12:23]
regrets the experience of others. Johnson published London four years before Grace
[12:23 - 12:28]
started his poem. Johnson is less melodious less compressed and gray.
[12:28 - 12:33]
Here's what he himself would have called correct that is every word expresses the
[12:33 - 12:38]
exact appropriate sentence. He also has what he calls strength. That is
[12:38 - 12:43]
he has a complexity of meaning says in verse. What would require more words to be said in
[12:43 - 12:48]
prose. Notice how he varies his rhythm in these two lines. Slow
[12:48 - 12:53]
rises worth by poverty depressed but hear more slow.
[12:53 - 12:58]
We're all slaves to gold. Four syllables to I am
[12:58 - 13:03]
Bix slow rises worth slow doesn't bear the metrical stress
[13:03 - 13:08]
that. But then we have but here more slow and
[13:08 - 13:13]
here it has the metric of stress. Johnson's lines ought to
[13:13 - 13:17]
sound better. He knows about it as a ration involved music's love slave
[13:17 - 13:22]
gold but we don't have a really melodious statement from him.
[13:22 - 13:27]
Slow rises worth by poverty the
[13:27 - 13:31]
press compare it with this chill
[13:31 - 13:35]
penury repressed their noble rage.
[13:35 - 13:39]
Johnson's line is powerful. Grace has melody.
[13:39 - 13:44]
What about the super felicity of full many a gem of purest
[13:44 - 13:48]
ray serene the dark on Fathom caves of ocean bass.
[13:48 - 13:54]
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen and wasted
[13:54 - 13:57]
sweetness on the desert air.
[13:57 - 14:02]
That last line is almost unbelievable in doing so much so simply and
[14:02 - 14:06]
waste its sweetness on the desert. No it is waste its
[14:06 - 14:11]
sweetness the W and that it's sweet.
[14:11 - 14:13]
And listen to this.
[14:13 - 14:17]
And the wasted sweetness on the desert air and the desert is a
[14:17 - 14:18]
waste.
[14:18 - 14:23]
The flour wastes its sweetness in the desert its sweet scent is wasted.
[14:23 - 14:28]
Where there is no one to smell it the air of the desert absorbs it. Gray is a
[14:28 - 14:33]
poet in his ability to say much in few words. He seems so simple because he
[14:33 - 14:38]
works with such economy to scatter plenty or a smiling land a
[14:38 - 14:43]
smiling land. A typical example of 18th century cliches we might being cautious
[14:43 - 14:48]
enough to comment but think about scattering plenty abundance without niggardly
[14:48 - 14:52]
reserve or restraint over a land which is a smiling landscape and is full of
[14:52 - 14:57]
happy people. No groans no complaints no agony no death no
[14:57 - 15:02]
evictions No riots no floods fires terrifying human or natural
[15:02 - 15:07]
storms to scatter plenty on a smiling land. No
[15:07 - 15:12]
one can read much of the elegy without noticing Gray's 18th century habit of
[15:12 - 15:16]
imagining personifications the breezy call of incense breathing more on
[15:16 - 15:21]
let not ambition Mark nor grandeur are here we might
[15:21 - 15:26]
say the ambitious and the Grand. Yet for me
[15:26 - 15:32]
this would be vague. My ambition gives me a more vivid concrete thought.
[15:32 - 15:36]
So does no grand you're here and of course so does the breezy
[15:36 - 15:41]
call of incense breathing moan. I have an image of them one as a personification
[15:41 - 15:46]
fused with the image of a real morning in the countryside smelling sweet and fresh.
[15:46 - 15:52]
You may remember that last week I explained how grey has here an ethical book Mind of Milton's
[15:52 - 15:56]
Paradise Lost in which Adam and Eve joined their articulate with a ship to the
[15:56 - 16:01]
silent praise of literally sweet fresh smell sent by all plant life up to
[16:01 - 16:06]
heaven at the break of day and a breeze in Bray's time was defined
[16:06 - 16:11]
by one eighteenth century dictionary as a fresh puff of wind. You can
[16:11 - 16:16]
find example after example of the felicity with which Gray communicates through his personifications.
[16:16 - 16:21]
But knowledge through their eyes chilled penury repressed can on
[16:21 - 16:25]
as voice provoke the silent dust all flatteries the dull
[16:25 - 16:30]
codea of death. Earlier today I compared some lines by
[16:30 - 16:35]
Samuel Johnson to some from this Elegy. Both men are typical of the 18th century.
[16:35 - 16:40]
If ever a false word was spoken of the eighteenth century it was to the effect that 18th century art of
[16:40 - 16:45]
every kind is unemotional. The age of can totter of opera of
[16:45 - 16:50]
overwhelmingly emotional tragic acting of tear jerking tragedies and sentimental
[16:50 - 16:55]
comedy. Craze lines seem so simple
[16:55 - 17:00]
they run so smoothly and melodiously that we might make the mistake of finding in them nothing but
[17:00 - 17:06]
restraint. We might miss the emotion but listen to the whole poem now.
[17:06 - 17:09]
The curfew tolls the knell of parting day
[17:09 - 17:16]
the lowing herd winds slowly over the leaves. The
[17:16 - 17:20]
ploughman homeward plods his weary way and leaves the
[17:20 - 17:24]
world to darkness and to me
[17:24 - 17:31]
now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight and all the air a
[17:31 - 17:36]
solemn stillness holds save where the beetle wheels
[17:36 - 17:41]
his droning flight and drowsy tingling love the
[17:41 - 17:42]
distant.
[17:42 - 17:50]
Save that from yonder Ivy mantled tower. The moping owl dolls to the
[17:50 - 17:55]
moon complain of such as wondering near her secret Bower
[17:55 - 17:58]
molest ancient solitary raid.
[17:58 - 18:05]
Beneath those rugged elms that huge trees shade where
[18:05 - 18:10]
he was the Finn many a moldering heap each in his narrow
[18:10 - 18:14]
cell for ever laid the rude
[18:14 - 18:19]
forefathers of the hamlet sleep.
[18:19 - 18:24]
The breezy call of incense breathing morn the Swallow Twittering from the
[18:24 - 18:28]
straw built shed the cocks shrill clarion call the echoing horn
[18:28 - 18:33]
No more shall rouse them from their lonely bed.
[18:33 - 18:39]
For them no more the blazing heart shall burn or busy
[18:39 - 18:44]
housewife plying her evening care. No children run to this
[18:44 - 18:49]
their sires return or climb his knees.
[18:49 - 18:53]
The envied case to share oft did the
[18:53 - 18:58]
harvest to their sickle yield their furrow off to the stubborn Glebe
[18:58 - 19:03]
has broke how jocund did they drive their team afield How
[19:03 - 19:06]
about the woods beneath their sturdy stroke.
[19:06 - 19:15]
Let not ambition. Mark their useful toil their
[19:15 - 19:20]
homely joys and destiny obscure nor grandeur
[19:20 - 19:23]
here with a disdainful smile.
[19:23 - 19:27]
The short and simple annals of the poor are
[19:27 - 19:30]
the boast of heraldry.
[19:30 - 19:35]
The pomp of power and all that beauty all that welfare gave
[19:35 - 19:40]
awaits a like the inevitable our Paths of
[19:40 - 19:44]
Glory lead but to the grave.
[19:44 - 19:49]
Know you your proud impute to these the fault if memory or they are to no
[19:49 - 19:54]
trophies raise where through the long drawn Island fretted for all the peeling
[19:54 - 19:59]
anthems wails the note of praise Can story to
[19:59 - 20:03]
turn or animated bust back to its mention called the fleeting breath
[20:03 - 20:09]
can owner's voice provoke the silent dust or flattery
[20:09 - 20:13]
to the dull cold ear of death.
[20:13 - 20:20]
Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid some heart once pregnant with
[20:20 - 20:24]
celestial fire hands that the rod of empire might have
[20:24 - 20:28]
swayed or waked to ecstasy.
[20:28 - 20:31]
The living lie.
[20:31 - 20:35]
But knowledge to their eyes her ample page rich with the spoils of time did
[20:35 - 20:40]
near unroll chill penury repressed to their noble
[20:40 - 20:45]
rage and froze the genial current of the soul
[20:45 - 20:52]
full many a gem of purest ray serene in the dark on Fathom caves of
[20:52 - 20:56]
ocean bare for many a flower is born to blush
[20:56 - 21:03]
unseen and waste its sweetness on the desert air.
[21:03 - 21:07]
Some village Hampton that with don't loose breast to the little tyrant of his
[21:07 - 21:12]
fields withstood some mute inglorious Milton
[21:12 - 21:17]
here may rest some Cromwell guiltless of his
[21:17 - 21:22]
country's blood. The applause of listening
[21:22 - 21:27]
Senates to command the threats of pain and ruin to despise to
[21:27 - 21:31]
scatter plenty over a smiling land and read their history in the nation's
[21:31 - 21:36]
eyes. Their lot for bad nor
[21:36 - 21:40]
circumscribed alone their growing virtues. But their crimes
[21:40 - 21:45]
confined for badly to wade through slaughter too were thrown out
[21:45 - 21:50]
and shut the gates of mercy on mankind. The struggling pangs of conscious
[21:50 - 21:55]
truth to hide to quench the blushes of ingenuous shame
[21:55 - 22:00]
or heap the shrine of luxury and pride with incense kindled at the
[22:00 - 22:04]
Muses flame.
[22:04 - 22:09]
Far From The Madding Crowd the ignoble strife their sober
[22:09 - 22:13]
wishes never learned to stray along with
[22:13 - 22:18]
sequestered the veil of life. They kept the noiseless tenor of
[22:18 - 22:23]
their way. Yet even these bones from
[22:23 - 22:28]
insult to protect some frail memorial still erected NYE
[22:28 - 22:32]
with uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture de
[22:32 - 22:36]
implores the passing tribute of a sigh
[22:36 - 22:43]
their name their years spelt by the unlettered knew
[22:43 - 22:48]
the place of fame and Elegy supply and many a holy
[22:48 - 22:53]
text around who strews that teach the rustic moralist to die
[22:53 - 22:59]
for who don't forget fulness I pray this pleasing anxious
[22:59 - 23:04]
being heir resigned left the warm precincts of the cheerful day
[23:04 - 23:09]
nor cast one longing lingering look behind
[23:09 - 23:15]
on some fond breast the parting soul realize some pious
[23:15 - 23:20]
drops the closing I requires even from the tomb the voice of
[23:20 - 23:25]
nature cries even in our ashes live there
[23:25 - 23:26]
wanted fires.
[23:26 - 23:33]
For the WHO mindful of the ANA dead.
[23:33 - 23:38]
Dust in these lines their artless tale relate if
[23:38 - 23:43]
chance by a lonely contemplation led to some kindred spirit shall
[23:43 - 23:47]
inquire thy fate haply some hoary headed
[23:47 - 23:52]
Swain may say after Have we seen him of the people of
[23:52 - 23:57]
dawn brushing with hasty steps the DO's away to meet the sun upon the
[23:57 - 24:01]
upland lawn where at the foot of yonder nodding beech that
[24:01 - 24:06]
revisit old fantastic roots so high his listless length at
[24:06 - 24:11]
noontide would he stretch and pour upon the brook that babbles by
[24:11 - 24:17]
heart by yon would now smiling as in scorn muttering
[24:17 - 24:21]
his wayward fancies he would rove now drooping
[24:21 - 24:27]
like one full on or crazed with care or crossed in a hopeless
[24:27 - 24:28]
love.
[24:28 - 24:34]
One more and I missed him on the custom hill along the heath and near its
[24:34 - 24:36]
favorite tree.
[24:36 - 24:41]
Another came nor yet beside the real nor up the lawn nor at the
[24:41 - 24:41]
wood.
[24:41 - 24:46]
Was he the next with dirges do you
[24:46 - 24:51]
in sad array slow through the church way path. We saw him
[24:51 - 24:56]
born approach and read for thou canst read of the lay
[24:56 - 24:59]
graved on the stone beneath yon aged thorn
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where scattered oft the earliest of the year by hands unseen are
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showers of violets found the red breast loves to build and
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warble there and little footsteps lightly print the ground.
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The epitaph here
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rests his head upon the lap of earth for you to
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fortune and to fame unknown fair science frowned
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not on his humble birth and melancholy it marked him for her
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own large was his bounty and his soul
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sincere.
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Heaven did a recompense as a largely set and gave to
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misery all he had.
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A tear he gained from heaven was all he
[25:57 - 25:58]
wished.
[25:58 - 26:03]
Our friend no farther seek his merits to
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disclose or draw his frailties from their dread abode
[26:07 - 26:13]
where they are alike in trembling hope repose the
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bosom of his father and his God.
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Where ever you read Ray's poem you find some felicitous melody
[26:21 - 26:24]
the vowels and consonants make music.
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Listen to the music of this oft did the harvest to their sickle
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yield their photo off to the stubborn Glebe has broke how
[26:34 - 26:38]
jocund did they drive their team afield. How bout the woods
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beneath their sturdy stroke. There are wonderful sounds in this.
[26:43 - 26:50]
Full many a gem of purest ray serene in the dark on Fathom caves of ocean
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bare for many a flower is born to blush unseen
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and waste its sweetness on the desert air.
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Now for some more music in this one more and I missed
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him on the custom hill along the heath and near his favorite tree.
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Another came nor yet beside the real nor up the lawn nor at the
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wood was he.
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And now let's hear our epitaph again.
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We have a tower here
[27:27 - 27:31]
rests his head upon the lap of Earth.
[27:31 - 27:36]
Are you to fortune and to fame unknown where science
[27:36 - 27:41]
frowned not on his humble birth and melancholy and mocked him for
[27:41 - 27:42]
her own.
[27:42 - 27:47]
Large was his bounty and his so sincere
[27:47 - 27:53]
have to recompense as a largely say and he gave to
[27:53 - 27:54]
misery.
[27:54 - 27:59]
He had a tear he gained from heaven
[27:59 - 28:02]
was all he wished.
[28:02 - 28:06]
A friend no father seek his merits to
[28:06 - 28:11]
disclose or draw his frailties from their dread abode
[28:11 - 28:16]
where they are like in trembling hope repose the
[28:16 - 28:21]
bosom of his father and his God.
[28:21 - 28:26]
You have been listening to the second of two talks on Gray's Elegy praise verse was read by
[28:26 - 28:32]
Jonathan Farwell Sarah Farber read the passage from Johnson's London.
[28:32 - 28:42]
Joseph inviting you to be with us again next week.
[28:42 - 28:47]
This program was produced by a radio broadcast services of a University of Washington under a
[28:47 - 28:50]
grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
[28:50 - 28:54]
This is the national educational radio network.
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