Read the excerpt. Full many a gem of purest ray serene The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear: Full many a flower is born to bl
ush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air. In these lines from “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” by Thomas Gray, how do the images of the gem and the flower express the idea of unfulfilled potential? Gems, flowers, and talents can be appreciated only when they are seen. Gems, flowers, and talents, too, will die, their potential unfulfilled. Gems, flowers, and talents can be appreciated only in hindsight. Gems, flowers, and talents can be appreciated only by the educated and wealthy.
Gems, flowers, and talents can be appreciated only when they are seen.
Thomas Gray in “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” in the above lines laments about the unsung heroes who got buried with the time. He uses the metaphor of ‘gem’ and ‘flower’ to express the idea of unfulfilled potential which was not recognized and so were lost. As the lives of the poor and country people are lost and are buried in the country churchyard, in the same way, we ignore the best and most beautiful part of nature’s beauty.
One possible theme could be “how a person is affected by growing older”. Shakespeare compares old age to the seasonal shift. The narrator also describes how aging is harsh and ultimately comes to see its inevitability. Hope this helps!
