Collection: Thomas Gray

Thomas Gray (born December 26, 1716 in London, died July 30, 1771 in Cambridge – outstanding English poet, forerunner of Romanticism, philologist and professor of history.

Born in London, he was educated at Eton College and then Peterhouse at Pembroke College, Cambridge. He was one of the least prolific of English poets; fewer than 1,000 lines were published during his lifetime, but he is considered the finest poet of the 18th century. His verses are philosophical, atmospheric, and melancholic. Towards the end of his life, he travelled to Scotland, which led to a fascination with folk culture, which is evident in his final works. Gray was also interested in the cultures of Nordic and Celtic peoples.

He is the author of one of the most frequently quoted works in English literature , Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, translated by, among others, Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, Jerzy Pietrkiewicz and Stanisław Barańczak.