Thomas Gray | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by John Giles Eccardt, 1747–1748 | |
| Born | 26 December 1716 Cornhill, London, England |
| Died | 30 July 1771 (aged 54) Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England |
| Occupation | Poet, historian |
| Alma mater | Peterhouse, Cambridge Eton College |
Thomas Gray (26 December 1716 – 30 July 1771) was an English poet, letter-writer, and classical scholar at Cambridge University, being a fellow first of Peterhouse then of Pembroke College. He is widely known for his Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, published in 1751.[1]
Gray was a self-critical writer who published only 13 poems in his lifetime, despite being very popular. He was even offered the position of Poet Laureate in 1757 after the death of Colley Cibber, though he declined.[2]
- ^ "Thomas Gray | English poet". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- ^ Gray, Thomas. The poetical works of Thomas Gray: containing his poems and correspondence, with memoirs of his life and writings. Vol. 1, Printed for Harding, Triphook, and Lepard, 1825. Nineteenth Century Collections Online, link.gale.com/apps/doc/ZIGUXF727905683/NCCO?u=maine_orono&sid=bookmark-NCCO&xid=4d437883&pg=59. Accessed 8 Dec. 2022.