Sonnet [on the Death of Mr Richard West]
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Sonnet [on the Death of Mr Richard West]
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Metrical foot type: iambic (-+)
Metrical foot number: pentameter (5 feet)
Rhyme scheme: ababcdcdefefef
Syllable pattern: 10
Stanza: octet (8 lines), sestet (6 lines)
Genre(s): sonnet
Notation symbols: | (foot boundary), || (caesura), / (metrical line boundary), + (metrically prominent), - (metrically non-prominent)
Metre: -+|-+|-+|-+|-+/ | Syllables: 10
Metre: -+|-+|-+|-+|-+/ | Syllables: 10
Metre: -+|-+|-+|-+|-+/ | Syllables: 10
Metre: -+|-+|-+|-+|-+/ | Syllables: 10
Metre: -+|-+|-+|-+|-+/ | Syllables: 10
Metre: -+|-+|-+|-+|-+/ | Syllables: 10
Metre: -+|-+|-+|-+|-+/ | Syllables: 10
Metre: -+|-+|-+|-+|-+/ | Syllables: 10
Metre: -+|-+|-+|-+|-+/ | Syllables: 10
Metre: -+|-+|-+|-+|-+/ | Syllables: 10
Metre: -+|-+|-+|-+|-+/ | Syllables: 10
Metre: -+|-+|-+|-+|-+/ | Syllables: 10
Metre: -+|-+|-+|-+|-+/ | Syllables: 10
Metre: -+|-+|-+|-+|-+/ | Syllables: 10
Expanding the poem lines () shows notes and queries taken from various critical editions of Gray's works, as well as those contributed by users of the Archive. There are 2 textual and 10 explanatory notes/queries.
Sonnet [on the Death of Mr Richard West] 2 Explanatory, 2 Textual Skip to next line
Title/Paratext] "This is one of Gray's [...]" J. Bradshaw, 1891.
"This is one of Gray's earliest original productions in English verse, the
first being the first scene of "Agrippina," sent to West
in March, 1742; the next was the
"Ode on the Spring," sent to West in June;
and then this Sonnet, written at Stoke
in August.
There is a copy of this Sonnet in Gray's handwriting in his
Commonplace Books, in Pembroke College."
Title/Paratext] "It is remarkable that since [...]" J. Bradshaw, 1891.
"It is remarkable that since the Sonnets of Milton (1642-1655)
there had been no Sonnets that have survived, except a single one by Walsh
"On Death" (see my "English Anthology," p. 236), more than
fifty years before this of Gray's, which, moreover, was not published till
Mason's "Life of Gray" in 1775.
This Sonnet possesses an additional interest from the use made
of it by Wordsworth in the Preface to his "Lyrical Ballads" (1800),
in illustration of his assertion that "there neither is nor can be any
essential difference between the language of prose and metrical
composition"; and on account of Coleridge's criticism of Wordsworth's
theory, and of the Sonnet itself, in his "Biographia Literaria"
(1817), chap, xviii."
Title/Paratext] "Gray invariably added 'ing' without [...]" D.C. Tovey, 1922 [1st ed. 1898].
"Gray invariably added 'ing' without change to a verb ending in e, e.g. smileing, writeing, &c. He had his theories of spelling, as had Milton; though I do not think Gray ever stated them; he certainly never enforced them upon his printers."
Gray's English Poems, Original and Translated from the Norse and Welsh. Edited by Duncan C. Tovey. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1922 [1st ed. 1898], 89.Title/Paratext] "West was the dearest of [...]" D.C. Tovey, 1922 [1st ed. 1898].
"West was the dearest of Gray's Eton friends. He was the son of Richard West, who died Lord Chancellor of Ireland at the age of 35. The mother of Gray's Richard West was daughter of the historian Bishop Burnet, and sister of Judge Burnet. When Gray was at Peterhouse, Cambridge, West was at Christchurch, Oxford, which he left early in 1738, intending (as Gray then intended) to devote himself to law; but he was disgusted with legal studies, became restless, and seems to have had some thoughts of entering the army. His health was bad, and was not improved by domestic troubles. For the circumstances of his death see Introduction to the preceding Ode, and references there; and for further particulars of life and literary remains Gray and His Friends, pp. 13-17 and 65-151."
Gray's English Poems, Original and Translated from the Norse and Welsh. Edited by Duncan C. Tovey. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1922 [1st ed. 1898], 88-89.1.6 smiling] "Milton three times speaks of [...]" J. Bradshaw, 1891.
"Milton three times speaks of the "smiling morn," "Paradise Lost," v. 124, 168; xi. 175."
The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray: English and Latin. Edited with an introduction, life, notes and a bibliography by John Bradshaw. The Aldine edition of the British poets series. London: George Bell and sons, 1891, 247.3.6-7 amorous descant] "amorous descant is from Milton, [...]" J. Bradshaw, 1891.
"amorous descant is from Milton, "Paradise Lost," iv. 603:—
"all but the wakeful nightingale;The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray: English and Latin. Edited with an introduction, life, notes and a bibliography by John Bradshaw. The Aldine edition of the British poets series. London: George Bell and sons, 1891, 247.
She all night long her amorous descant sung.""
3.6-7 amorous descant] "Milton, P[aradise]. L[ost]. iv. 602: [...]" D.C. Tovey, 1922 [1st ed. 1898].
"Milton, P[aradise]. L[ost]. iv. 602:
"...all but the wakeful nightingale,Descant means variation upon plain song in music; and as applied to the nightingale by Milton has a distinctive truth which is lost in Gray."Gray's English Poems, Original and Translated from the Norse and Welsh. Edited by Duncan C. Tovey. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1922 [1st ed. 1898], 89.
She all night long her amorous descant sung."
Luke.
4.7 attire:] "Milton also uses this word [...]" J. Bradshaw, 1891.
"Milton also uses this word of the clothing of the fields:—
"Earth in her rich attireThe Poetical Works of Thomas Gray: English and Latin. Edited with an introduction, life, notes and a bibliography by John Bradshaw. The Aldine edition of the British poets series. London: George Bell and sons, 1891, 247.
Consummate lovely smiled."—Par. Lost, vii. 501."
8.1-8 And ... expire.] "Rogers quotes Dryden (Ovid—an insufficient [...]" D.C. Tovey, 1922 [1st ed. 1898].
"Rogers quotes Dryden (Ovid—an insufficient reference):
"And in my ear the imperfect accent dies,"—not I suppose for the thought—but for the form of the line. Gray acknowledged his obligations to the numbers of Dryden, and no doubt moulded many of his lines on more or less conscious reminiscence. See Progress of Poesy ad fin. and notes there."Gray's English Poems, Original and Translated from the Norse and Welsh. Edited by Duncan C. Tovey. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1922 [1st ed. 1898], 89.
8.6 imperfect] "incomplete, because he no longer [...]" J. Bradshaw, 1891.
"incomplete, because he no longer has his friend to share them."
The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray: English and Latin. Edited with an introduction, life, notes and a bibliography by John Bradshaw. The Aldine edition of the British poets series. London: George Bell and sons, 1891, 248.14.1-9 And ... vain.] ""A similar line occurs in [...]" J. Bradshaw, 1891.
""A similar line occurs in Cibber's Alteration of 'Richard the Third':—
'So we must weep, because we weep in vain.'—ii. 2.'Solon, when he wept for his son's death, on one saying to him, 'Weeping will not help,' answered: [Greek line (omitted)] 'I weep for that very cause, that weeping will not avail.' It is also told of Augustus. See also Fitzgeoffry's 'Life and Death of Sir Francis Drake':—
'Oh! therefore do we plaine,The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray: English and Latin. Edited with an introduction, life, notes and a bibliography by John Bradshaw. The Aldine edition of the British poets series. London: George Bell and sons, 1891, 248.
And therefore weepe, because we weepe in vaine.'"—Mitford."
14.1-4 And ... more] " ''So must we weep, [...]" D.C. Tovey, 1922 [1st ed. 1898].
" ''So must we weep, because we weep in vain,''Cibber's alteration of Shakespeare's Richard III. II. 2. Solon, according to Diogenes Laertius, when he wept on his son's death, replied to one who told him 'weeping will not help' [Greek line (omitted)], I weep for that very cause, that weeping will not avail. The same is told of Augustus. See also Fitzgeffry's Life and Death of Sir Francis Drake, II. 99
''Oh! therefore do we plaine,Gray's English Poems, Original and Translated from the Norse and Welsh. Edited by Duncan C. Tovey. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1922 [1st ed. 1898], 89.
And therefore weepe, because we weepe in vaine.''
From Mitford. Cf. Addison in Spectator no. 574."
Works cited
- The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray: English and Latin. Edited with an introduction, life, notes and a bibliography by John Bradshaw. The Aldine edition of the British poets series. London: George Bell and sons, 1891.
- Gray's English Poems, Original and Translated from the Norse and Welsh. Edited by Duncan C. Tovey. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1922 [1st ed. 1898].
Spelling has been modernized throughout, except in case of conscious archaisms. Contractions, italics and initial capitalization have been largely eliminated, except where of real import. Obvious errors have been silently corrected, punctuation has been supplied. The editor would like to express his gratitude to the library staff of the Göttingen State and University Library (SUB Göttingen) for their invaluable assistance.