The Transitional Poets: Thomas Gray and Robert Burns

Shaping a New Literary Age: The Transitional Poetry of Gray and Burns

This blog is part of a Thinking Activity given by prakruti Bhatt Ma'am on the transitional poet thomas gray and robert burns In it, I will reflect on a few key questions and attempt to answer them.

Introduction:

The late eighteenth century was a period of great change in English literature. The age of strict rules, rationality, and classical influence of the early 18th century—represented by poets like Alexander Pope—was slowly giving way to a new wave of imagination, emotion, and focus on nature, which later came to full bloom in the Romantic Movement of the early 19th century. Between these two phases, there were poets who carried elements of both traditions. They did not fully belong to the Augustan age of wit and satire, nor were they yet part of the high Romantic age of Wordsworth and Coleridge. These poets are called The transitional poets.

Two important transitional poets are Thomas Gray (1716–1771) and Robert Burns (1759–1796). Both of them contributed in their unique ways to English poetry. Gray combined classical elegance with a sensitivity to nature and emotion, while Burns used the Scots dialect, folk traditions, and heartfelt simplicity to speak of ordinary life and people.

In this blog, we will discuss what the term “transitional” means, what aspects of late eighteenth-century poetry can be called transitional, analyze Thomas Gray’s famous poem Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, and look at how Robert Burns was influenced by the historical context of his time. Finally, we will focus on the theme of anthropomorphism in Burns’ much-loved poem To a Mouse.

What Does the Term "Transitional" Mean?

The word transitional comes from the root “transition,” which means a process of change or a shift from one state to another. In literature, transitional poets are those who lived and wrote at a time when literary style and thought were moving from one age to another. They reflect characteristics of both the earlier tradition and the new one that is emerging.

In the context of 18th-century English poetry, “transitional” mainly refers to poets who stood between the Augustan age (also called the Age of Reason or the Neo-Classical Age) and the Romantic age

The Augustan Age (early–mid 18th century) emphasized:
- Order, balance, and reason.
- Formal poetic diction.
- Satire and wit.
- Classical models (like Horace, Virgil, Homer).
- Human society, politics, and manners more than nature.
The Romantic Age (late 18th–early 19th century) emphasized:
- Emotion, imagination, and individuality.
- Love of nature and rural life.
- Simple, spontaneous expression.
- Interest in common people and folk traditions.
- Spiritual reflection and personal feelings.

Transitional poets like Gray and Burns show signs of both. Gray still uses classical forms and polished style, but his themes—death, nature, the rural poor—foreshadow Romantic concerns. Burns, while rooted in folk tradition, brings out personal feelings, the dignity of common life, and the beauty of rural scenes, paving the way for Wordsworth and others.

Thus, the term “transitional” means poets who mark the bridge between the Classical and Romantic periods.

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Aspects of Late 18th-Century Poetry That Are Transitional:

When we look at poetry in the second half of the 18th century, we find several features that clearly show it was a time of transition:

Shift from Urban to Rural Themes
- Earlier poetry (Pope, Dryden) often focused on London life, coffee houses, political satire.
- Transitional poets shifted attention to the countryside, simple life, and rural people.
Growing Love for Nature
- Instead of treating nature as decoration, poets started appreciating its moral and emotional power.
- Nature was seen as a teacher, comforter, and companion.
Focus on Common People
- Transitional poets showed interest in peasants, farmers, laborers, and rural communities, not just aristocrats.
- This is seen strongly in Gray’s Elegy and in Burns’ poems.
Expression of Personal Emotion
- Poetry became more subjective. The poet’s personal feelings, grief, joys, and observations entered verse.
Simple and Native Language
- While still polished, poets began moving away from heavy classical references.
- Burns, in particular, used Scots dialect to bring authenticity and folk flavor.
Moral Reflection and Melancholy
- Many transitional poems carry a meditative tone, reflecting on death, time, and human destiny.
Folk Traditions and Song Influence
- Ballads, songs, and oral traditions inspired poets like Burns. This folk element prepared the ground for Romantic spontaneity.

Thus, late 18th-century poetry stands midway between reason and imagination, formality and freedom, satire and sincerity.

Thomas Gray as a Transitional Poet:

Thomas Gray (1716–1771)

Thomas Gray

Thomas Gray was an English poet, scholar, and professor at Cambridge. Though he published only a small number of poems, he is remembered as one of the greatest poets of the 18th century. Gray was shy, scholarly, and refined. He admired classical literature but also found deep inspiration in nature and rural life.

His most famous work is elegy written in a country churchyard (1751), which captures the spirit of transition between the classical and the Romantic.

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard as Transitional Poetry:

The poem is set in a quiet rural churchyard at twilight. Gray reflects on the lives of simple, unknown villagers buried there. He meditates on death, social equality in the grave, and the dignity of humble lives.

Transitional Features in the Poem:

Nature as a Setting and Mood
- The opening stanzas describe the fading light, the lowing herd, the ploughman’s return, and the solemn stillness.
- Nature is not just background—it creates a reflective mood. This is a Romantic trait.
Focus on Common People
- Gray honors the rural poor, who lived unnoticed and unsung.
- Unlike classical poets who glorified kings or nobles, Gray turns to humble villagers.
Melancholic Reflection
- The poem meditates on death and human destiny. Melancholy, a hallmark of transitional poetry, is central here.
Moral Universalism
- Gray suggests that death makes all equal—rich and poor, famous and obscure.
- This universal moral reflection carries Augustan balance but Romantic sympathy.
Style and Language
- The polished heroic quatrains (iambic pentameter with ABAB rhyme) reflect classical discipline.
- Yet the subject matter and imagery lean toward Romantic sensibility.

Thus, Elegy is a perfect example of how Gray stands at the crossroads—classical in form but Romantic in feeling.

Robert Burns and Historical Context:

Robert burns (1759–1796)

Robert Burns

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Robert Burns, also known as the “Ploughman Poet” or “Bard of Ayrshire,” is Scotland’s national poet. He was born into a poor farming family in Alloway, Ayrshire. Despite poverty, he was educated by his father and had a passion for reading and writing. Burns worked on farms while composing poetry and songs that captured the lives of ordinary Scots.

Burns wrote both in Scots dialect and in English. His works reflect rural life, folk songs, love, humor, and political awareness. His famous works include A Red, Red Rose, Auld Lang Syne, To a Mouse, and The Cotter’s Saturday Night.

Burns died young, at 37, but left behind a legacy as the people’s poet whose songs are still sung worldwide.

Historical Influences on Burns’ Poetry:

Scottish Identity and Folk Culture
- Scotland in Burns’ time was under English influence after the 1707 Union, but Scottish pride remained strong.
- Burns preserved the Scots dialect, songs, and traditions, strengthening national identity.
Agrarian Life
- As a farmer, Burns knew the struggles of rural labor. His poetry reflects sympathy for peasants, animals, and the hardships of agricultural life.
Age of Enlightenment
- While educated in Enlightenment ideas of equality and reason, Burns combined them with heartfelt emotion and folk wisdom.
French Revolution (1789)
- Burns admired the ideals of liberty and equality. His poems like The Tree of Liberty show his democratic spirit.
Poverty and Class Struggles
- Living as a poor farmer, Burns gave voice to the dignity of common people and their everyday joys and sorrows.

Thus, Burns’ poetry is shaped by his Scottish heritage, rural background, Enlightenment ideas, and social struggles of his time.

Anthropomorphism in Burns’ To a mouse

About the Poem

To a Mouse (1785) was written after Burns accidentally destroyed a mouse’s nest while ploughing a field. Instead of dismissing the creature, he sympathizes with it and reflects on the similarity between the fates of man and beast.

Theme of Anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism means giving human qualities, feelings, or intentions to animals or objects. In this poem, Burns speaks directly to the mouse as if it were a fellow being with emotions, fears, and plans.

Examples of Anthropomorphism in the Poem:

Addressing the Mouse as a Fellow Creature
- Burns calls the mouse his “fellow mortal” and apologizes for disturbing its home.
Acknowledging the Mouse’s Fear
- He imagines the mouse trembling with fear of human cruelty.
Mouse’s Plans and Disappointments
- Burns says the mouse, like humans, makes plans that often fail: “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft agley”.
- Here, the mouse is seen as capable of planning a future, a deeply human trait.
Comparison Between Mouse and Man
- Burns feels that the mouse is luckier because it lives only in the present, while humans suffer from regret of the past and fear of the future.

Significance:

Through anthropomorphism, Burns shows compassion, equality between humans and animals, and a shared vulnerability to fate. This reflects his democratic spirit and deep connection with nature.

Conclusion:

Thomas Gray and Robert Burns represent two different but connected sides of transitional poetry. Gray, scholarly and refined, gave us meditative, universal reflections on life, death, and humble humanity in poems like Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. Burns, earthy and passionate, gave voice to rural Scotland, common people, and even humble creatures like a mouse.

Both poets paved the way for Romanticism by:

Valuing nature and rural life.
Honoring emotion and personal feeling.
Celebrating the dignity of ordinary existence.

Thus, the late 18th century stands as a bridge, where Gray’s polished melancholy and Burns’ heartfelt simplicity carried English poetry from the rational elegance of Augustan verse into the emotional, natural, and democratic world of Romanticism.

𝑲𝒉𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒊’𝒔 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒈

Thursday, 2 October 2025