Critical Analysis of Thomas Gray The Progress of Poesy

The Progress of Poesy , written by Thomas Gray is styled in Pindaric ode and it celebrates the poetic development of a poetry. The poem establishes Gray to be the precursor for the Romantic poetry and he belongs to the transitional phase between Neo-Classicism and Romanticism. Gray has naturally balanced the traits of Neo-Classicism and Romanticism in his ode. The ode is also celebrated for numerous allusions to Greek mythologies and the odyssey of poetry from Greek to Italy and finally to England. 

As a transitional poet , the ode is influenced by a Greek poet Pindar who wrote his poems in a different manner. His ode is now known as a Pindaric ode where a single part of the ode is divided into strope , antistrope and epode. Gray has successfully imitated Pindaric ode and refashioned it in similar to the Neo-Classical poets. However , Gray establishes a sense of emotional equilibrium in the poem that echoes the Romanticism in the ode. 

The ode deals with the formation of poetry. One can see the Neo-Classical traits in his ode where the idea of universality or absoluteness is established. In the ode, the sources of poetry comes from the muses living in the Helicon valley. The Helicon valley is surrounded by the different sound of vales and water flowing meaning that the poetry also flows in different rhymes and music inspired and formed by the muses in Helicon valley. It is absolute or universal in a sense that poetry has been mostly dedicated to the Greek poets and many poets owe their writings to them.

The echo of  Romanticism can also be seen in the ode where the impact of poetry in the consciousness of human mind is examined. Gray is of the opinion that poetry is able to control the passion and emotional flow of human beings. It can release the feelings of the anger of Lord of the War and lull the furious eagle from the Jove and it can also subdue the eagle to deep slumber with the musical effects of poetry. The poetry according to Gray is romantic in a sense that an emotion is attached to it. He states that the cupid’s dances on Cythereas day who obey to the voices of poetry. When the goddess Venus passes by on Cythereas Day , the music slows down and the Graces pay their homage to her and the goddess is able to move the Young desire and passion with her beauty and passion. Metaphorically , Gray institutes that this is the similar effects of poetry that can intrigue the readers to passion and desire because poetry contains emotional attachment. 

Gray also talks about various qualities of poetry. Firstly, it is the powerful forces of poetry. He is of the belief that poetry is able to battle against the miseries of life. Human life is a “weeping train” where every individual is passing into the experience of death governed by fate and destiny. Here , the influence of Neo -Classicism is seen where the governance of human life by fate and destiny are common in many Greek and Roman plays. He believes that poetryis able to bring light and battle against the poor misery of human life. Secondly, he also talks about the omnipresent quality of a poetry. He states that poetry is present everywhere even in the remote areas and he cites an example of some natives living in the ice built mountain. Though the chilly areas could have given dullness to these places , the poetry has given different shades of experiences to the natives in these areas. 

Gray also talks about the origin of poetry in his ode. He tells that poetry is first observed in the Delphis Steep or the shrine of Apollo. He alludes to the birth place of Homer who is considered to the most celebrated Greek poet. He talks about the lyric poetry that is first heard near the Aegean Sea and Meander. The lyric poetry flourished from there but the place is also shrouded with pain and nostalgia that poetry started to fade away. Hence, poetry travelled to Italy carried by the Nine Muses from Parnassus but Italy is governed by tyrant rulers and given less serious attention losing its vitality in Italy. It then reaches to Albion or the British Isles where poetry flourished. This justifies the title of the poem as well as the progress of Poesy. 

Gray has instituted the important quality of a poet which is the visionary quality. Wordsworth is also considered as a visionary poet and the Bard in the ode sees the flourishing of poetry in the hands of Queen Elizabeth I under Tudor dynasty. He despises Edward II and he feels unburden because he sees the unborn future of England where poetry will flourished and many great poets will be produced. He admired Queen Elizabeth I who is the ardent admirer of poetry and drama. The Bard mentions Spenser The Faerie Queen that will deal with faithful ove and war and the drama of Shakespeare that deals with the tyrant rulers as well as tragedies that will please and grief many Elizabethans. He also mentions John Milton who will write about the Cherub choir praising the Divine or God in his famous work Paradise Lost. The Bard sees it as a vision while despising the King and he jumps off the cliff while listening to the music of future Britain.