Introduction: “Thyrsis” by Matthew Arnold
“Thyrsis” by Matthew Arnold, first appeared in 1867 in his collection “New Poems,” is an elegy for a lost friend, a shepherd poet named Thyrsis. It explores themes of loss, memory, and the enduring power of nature. Its popularity as a textbook poem stems from its poignant portrayal of grief and its rich use of imagery and literary allusions. The poem begins by establishing a sense of change and loss: “How changed is here each spot man makes or fills!” The speaker reminisces about past walks with Thyrsis, noting the disappearance of landmarks and the altered landscape. He mourns the loss of their shared experiences and the passing of time.
Text: “Thyrsis” by Matthew Arnold
How changed is here each spot man makes or fills!
In the two Hinkseys nothing keeps the same;
The village street its haunted mansion lacks,
And from the sign is gone Sibylla’s name,
And from the roofs the twisted chimney-stacks—
Are ye too changed, ye hills?
See, ’tis no foot of unfamiliar men
To-night from Oxford up your pathway strays!
Here came I often, often, in old days—
Thyrsis and I; we still had Thyrsis then.
Runs it not here, the track by Childsworth Farm,
Past the high wood, to where the elm-tree crowns
The hill behind whose ridge the sunset flames?
The signal-elm, that looks on Ilsley Downs,
The Vale, the three lone weirs, the youthful Thames?—
This winter-eve is warm,
Humid the air! leafless, yet soft as spring,
The tender purple spray on copse and briers!
And that sweet city with her dreaming spires,
She needs not June for beauty’s heightening,
Lovely all times she lies, lovely to-night!—
Only, methinks, some loss of habit’s power
Befalls me wandering through this upland dim.
Once pass’d I blindfold here, at any hour;
Now seldom come I, since I came with him.
That single elm-tree bright
Against the west—I miss it! is it goner?
We prized it dearly; while it stood, we said,
Our friend, the Gipsy-Scholar, was not dead;
While the tree lived, he in these fields lived on.
Too rare, too rare, grow now my visits here,
But once I knew each field, each flower, each stick;
And with the country-folk acquaintance made
By barn in threshing-time, by new-built rick.
Here, too, our shepherd-pipes we first assay’d.
Ah me! this many a year
My pipe is lost, my shepherd’s holiday!
Needs must I lose them, needs with heavy heart
Into the world and wave of men depart;
But Thyrsis of his own will went away.
It irk’d him to be here, he could not rest.
He loved each simple joy the country yields,
He loved his mates; but yet he could not keep,
For that a shadow lour’d on the fields,
Here with the shepherds and the silly sheep.
Some life of men unblest
He knew, which made him droop, and fill’d his head.
He went; his piping took a troubled sound
Of storms that rage outside our happy ground;
He could not wait their passing, he is dead.
So, some tempestuous morn in early June,
When the year’s primal burst of bloom is o’er,
Before the roses and the longest day—
When garden-walks and all the grassy floor
With blossoms red and white of fallen May
And chestnut-flowers are strewn—
So have I heard the cuckoo’s parting cry,
From the wet field, through the vext garden-trees,
Come with the volleying rain and tossing breeze:
The bloom is gone, and with the bloom go I!
Too quick despairer, wherefore wilt thou go?
Soon will the high Midsummer pomps come on,
Soon will the musk carnations break and swell,
Soon shall we have gold-dusted snapdragon,
Sweet-William with his homely cottage-smell,
And stocks in fragrant blow;
Roses that down the alleys shine afar,
And open, jasmine-muffled lattices,
And groups under the dreaming garden-trees,
And the full moon, and the white evening-star.
He hearkens not! light comer, he is flown!
What matters it? next year he will return,
And we shall have him in the sweet spring-days,
With whitening hedges, and uncrumpling fern,
And blue-bells trembling by the forest-ways,
And scent of hay new-mown.
But Thyrsis never more we swains shall see;
See him come back, and cut a smoother reed,
And blow a strain the world at last shall heed—
For Time, not Corydon, hath conquer’d thee!
Alack, for Corydon no rival now!—
But when Sicilian shepherds lost a mate,
Some good survivor with his flute would go,
Piping a ditty sad for Bion’s fate;
And cross the unpermitted ferry’s flow,
And relax Pluto’s brow,
And make leap up with joy the beauteous head
Of Proserpine, among whose crowned hair
Are flowers first open’d on Sicilian air,
And flute his friend, like Orpheus, from the dead.
O easy access to the hearer’s grace
When Dorian shepherds sang to Proserpine!
For she herself had trod Sicilian fields,
She knew the Dorian water’s gush divine,
She knew each lily white which Enna yields
Each rose with blushing face;
She loved the Dorian pipe, the Dorian strain.
But ah, of our poor Thames she never heard!
Her foot the Cumner cowslips never stirr’d;
And we should tease her with our plaint in vain!
Well! wind-dispersed and vain the words will be,
Yet, Thyrsis, let me give my grief its hour
In the old haunt, and find our tree-topp’d hill!
Who, if not I, for questing here hath power?
I know the wood which hides the daffodil,
I know the Fyfield tree,
I know what white, what purple fritillaries
The grassy harvest of the river-fields,
Above by Ensham, down by Sandford, yields,
And what sedged brooks are Thames’s tributaries;
I know these slopes; who knows them if not I?—
But many a tingle on the loved hillside,
With thorns once studded, old, white-blossom’d trees,
Where thick the cowslips grew, and far descried
High tower’d the spikes of purple orchises,
Hath since our day put by
The coronals of that forgotten time;
Down each green bank hath gone the ploughboy’s team,
And only in the hidden brookside gleam
Primroses, orphans of the flowery prime.
Where is the girl, who by the boatman’s door,
Above the locks, above the boating throng,
Unmoor’d our skiff when through the Wytham flats,
Red loosestrife and blond meadow-sweet among
And darting swallows and light water-gnats,
We track’d the shy Thames shore?
Where are the mowers, who, as the tiny swell
Of our boat passing heaved the river-grass,
Stood with suspended scythe to see us pass?—
They all are gone, and thou art gone as well!
Yes, thou art gone! and round me too the night
In ever-nearing circle weaves her shade.
I see her veil draw soft across the day,
I feel her slowly chilling breath invade
The cheek grown thin, the brown hair sprent with grey;
I feel her finger light
Laid pausefully upon life’s headlong train; —
The foot less prompt to meet the morning dew,
The heart less bounding at emotion new,
And hope, once crush’d, less quick to spring again.
And long the way appears, which seem’d so short
To the less practised eye of sanguine youth;
And high the mountain-tops, in cloudy air,
The mountain-tops where is the throne of Truth,
Tops in life’s morning-sun so bright and bare!
Unbreachable the fort
Of the long-batter’d world uplifts its wall;
And strange and vain the earthly turmoil grows,
And near and real the charm of thy repose,
And night as welcome as a friend would fall.
But hush! the upland hath a sudden loss
Of quiet!—Look, adown the dusk hill-side,
A troop of Oxford hunters going home,
As in old days, jovial and talking, ride!
From hunting with the Berkshire hounds they come.
Quick! let me fly, and cross
Into yon farther field!—’Tis done; and see,
Back’d by the sunset, which doth glorify
The orange and pale violet evening-sky,
Bare on its lonely ridge, the Tree! the Tree!
I take the omen! Eve lets down her veil,
The white fog creeps from bush to bush about,
The west unflushes, the high stars grow bright,
And in the scatter’d farms the lights come out.
I cannot reach the signal-tree to-night,
Yet, happy omen, hail!
Hear it from thy broad lucent Arno-vale
(For there thine earth forgetting eyelids keep
The morningless and unawakening sleep
Under the flowery oleanders pale),
Hear it, O Thyrsis, still our tree is there!—
Ah, vain! These English fields, this upland dim,
These brambles pale with mist engarlanded,
That lone, sky-pointing tree, are not for him;
To a boon southern country he is fled,
And now in happier air,
Wandering with the great Mother’s train divine
(And purer or more subtle soul than thee,
I trow, the mighty Mother doth not see)
Within a folding of the Apennine,
Thou hearest the immortal chants of old!—
Putting his sickle to the perilous grain
In the hot cornfield of the Phrygian king,
For thee the Lityerses-song again
Young Daphnis with his silver voice doth sing;
Sings his Sicilian fold,
His sheep, his hapless love, his blinded eyes—
And how a call celestial round him rang,
And heavenward from the fountain-brink he sprang,
And all the marvel of the golden skies.
There thou art gone, and me thou leavest here
Sole in these fields! yet will I not despair.
Despair I will not, while I yet descry
‘Neath the mild canopy of English air
That lonely tree against the western sky.
Still, still these slopes, ’tis clear,
Our Gipsy-Scholar haunts, outliving thee!
Fields where soft sheep from cages pull the hay,
Woods with anemonies in flower till May,
Know him a wanderer still; then why not me?
A fugitive and gracious light he seeks,
Shy to illumine; and I seek it too.
This does not come with houses or with gold,
With place, with honour, and a flattering crew;
‘Tis not in the world’s market bought and sold—
But the smooth-slipping weeks
Drop by, and leave its seeker still untired;
Out of the heed of mortals he is gone,
He wends unfollow’d, he must house alone;
Yet on he fares, by his own heart inspired.
Thou too, O Thyrsis, on like quest wast bound;
Thou wanderedst with me for a little hour!
Men gave thee nothing; but this happy quest,
If men esteem’d thee feeble, gave thee power,
If men procured thee trouble, gave thee rest.
And this rude Cumner ground,
Its fir-topped Hurst, its farms, its quiet fields,
Here cams’t thou in thy jocund youthful time,
Here was thine height of strength, thy golden prime!
And still the haunt beloved a virtue yields.
What though the music of thy rustic flute
Kept not for long its happy, country tone;
Lost it too soon, and learnt a stormy note
Of men contention-tost, of men who groan,
Which task’d thy pipe too sore, and tired thy throat—
It fail’d, and thou wage mute!
Yet hadst thou always visions of our light,
And long with men of care thou couldst not stay,
And soon thy foot resumed its wandering way,
Left human haunt, and on alone till night.
Too rare, too rare, grow now my visits here!
‘Mid city-noise, not, as with thee of yore,
Thyrsis! in reach of sheep-bells is my home.
—Then through the great town’s harsh, heart-wearying roar,
Let in thy voice a whisper often come,
To chase fatigue and fear:
Why faintest thou! I wander’d till I died.
Roam on! The light we sought is shining still.
Dost thou ask proof? Our tree yet crowns the hill,
Our Scholar travels yet the loved hill-side.
Annotations: “Thyrsis” by Matthew Arnold
| Stanza | Summary | Key Themes | Analysis |
| 1 | The poet reflects on changes in the landscape and recalls visiting this spot with Thyrsis in the past. He notes the loss of familiar sights and questions whether the hills have changed too. | Change, Memory, Nature | Arnold sets a nostalgic tone, emphasizing the transience of human creations and the enduring nature of the hills, a metaphor for permanence amidst change. |
| 2 | The poet describes the pathway leading to a prominent elm tree, reminiscing about the beauty of the countryside and the “dreaming spires” of Oxford. | Nostalgia, Natural Beauty | The reference to the “dreaming spires” symbolizes the romantic and eternal beauty of Oxford. The landscape is imbued with a sense of timelessness. |
| 3 | He mourns the elm tree’s absence, linking its presence to Thyrsis’s memory and symbolic immortality. | Loss, Mortality | The elm tree acts as a metaphor for Thyrsis and the connection between memory and physical objects. Its absence signifies loss and change. |
| 4 | The poet laments his infrequent visits to the countryside, contrasting his current detachment with his former intimacy with nature and rural life. | Alienation, Memory | This stanza reflects the passage of time and the poet’s growing disconnection from his pastoral roots, paralleling Thyrsis’s departure. |
| 5 | Thyrsis is depicted as restless and unable to stay in the countryside due to his awareness of life’s hardships, which ultimately led to his departure and death. | Restlessness, Mortality | Thyrsis symbolizes the artist or dreamer unable to reconcile his ideals with reality, highlighting the struggles of creative souls. |
| 6 | The poet compares Thyrsis’s death to the departure of the cuckoo in June, a bittersweet symbol of passing beauty and fleeting life. | Ephemerality, Nature’s Cycles | The imagery of the cuckoo and the fleeting bloom of May evoke a sense of impermanence and the inevitability of loss. |
| 7 | Arnold offers a hopeful perspective, urging Thyrsis to stay for the forthcoming joys of summer, though he acknowledges that Thyrsis is gone. | Hope, Regret | The poet’s plea is both an acknowledgment of loss and an affirmation of nature’s regenerative cycles. |
| 8 | The poet expresses hope for Thyrsis’s return, contrasting this with the finality of death. He mourns that time, not man, has conquered Thyrsis. | Hope, Irreversibility of Time | The contrast between nature’s cycles and human mortality underscores the inevitability of loss and the hope for spiritual reunion. |
| 9 | Arnold compares Thyrsis to a Sicilian shepherd, whose music could transcend death, lamenting that no such mythic intervention exists for Thyrsis. | Mythology, Art’s Power | Mythological allusions to Orpheus and Proserpine elevate Thyrsis, portraying him as a tragic figure whose artistry remains unfulfilled. |
| 10 | The poet highlights the lack of connection between English landscapes and classical myth, expressing the futility of seeking solace in these myths. | Loss, Disconnect | The poet contrasts the pastoral traditions of antiquity with the realities of his English countryside, underlining a sense of cultural isolation. |
| 11 | Despite the changes, Arnold seeks solace in revisiting old haunts, finding meaning in familiar places associated with Thyrsis. | Memory, Place | Revisiting these landscapes allows the poet to reconnect with his past and Thyrsis, emphasizing the importance of physical spaces in memory. |
| 12 | The poet reflects on the transformation of the countryside, lamenting the loss of its natural beauty due to human activity. | Environmental Change, Loss | The stanza critiques industrialization and its impact on the pastoral ideal, mourning the disappearance of rural charm. |
| 13 | He recalls shared experiences with Thyrsis and laments the absence of the people and activities that once brought life to the scene. | Nostalgia, Loss | Arnold’s descriptions of pastoral life contrast sharply with the present, emphasizing the inexorable passage of time. |
| 14 | The poet accepts the approach of age and the diminishing vitality of life, contrasting youthful vigor with the weariness of experience. | Aging, Mortality | Arnold philosophically addresses the inevitability of decline, finding solace in the enduring beauty of the natural world. |
| 15 | Arnold reflects on the difficulty of life and the allure of the final rest that Thyrsis has found, acknowledging the peace of death. | Death, Acceptance | The stanza juxtaposes the struggles of life with the tranquility of death, presenting a melancholic yet peaceful resolution. |
| 16 | The poet is startled by a group of hunters, a symbol of vitality and activity, and notices the lone tree still standing on the ridge. | Vitality, Hope | The tree becomes a beacon of hope and resilience, symbolizing Thyrsis’s lasting influence. |
| 17 | Arnold imagines Thyrsis in a southern paradise, enjoying the eternal songs and myths of classical antiquity. | Mythology, Immortality | The poet elevates Thyrsis to a mythic plane, where he transcends earthly suffering and lives on in an idealized afterlife. |
| 18 | He reflects on the enduring quest for spiritual light and artistic truth, which Thyrsis embodied and pursued. | Quest, Inspiration | The stanza reaffirms the significance of Thyrsis’s life and quest, celebrating his influence and legacy. |
| 19 | Arnold acknowledges Thyrsis’s struggles and contrasts his current urban life with their shared pastoral experiences. He finds comfort in Thyrsis’s enduring spirit. | Resilience, Memory | The poet resolves to continue seeking the light that inspired Thyrsis, affirming the value of the artistic and spiritual journey. |
Literary And Poetic Devices: “Thyrsis” by Matthew Arnold
| Device | Example | Explanation |
| Alliteration | “sweet spring-days” | Repetition of the initial consonant “s” creates a rhythmic and melodic effect, enhancing the beauty of the described scene. |
| Allusion | “Young Daphnis with his silver voice doth sing” | References to Greek mythology (Daphnis) link Thyrsis to the pastoral tradition, elevating him to a mythic plane. |
| Apostrophe | “Hear it, O Thyrsis” | The poet directly addresses Thyrsis, though he is absent, creating an emotional and personal tone. |
| Assonance | “Too rare, too rare, grow now my visits here” | Repetition of the vowel sound “o” conveys a mournful, reflective mood. |
| Caesura | “Yes, thou art gone! and round me too the night / In ever-nearing circle weaves her shade.” | The pause in the middle of the line emphasizes the finality of Thyrsis’s absence and the poet’s reflection. |
| Consonance | “fields, / Woods with anemonies in flower till May” | The repetition of the “f” and “w” sounds adds to the musical quality of the poem. |
| Elegiac Tone | The entire poem, e.g., “Yes, thou art gone!” | The poem is an elegy mourning the death of Thyrsis, marked by its reflective and mournful tone. |
| Enjambment | “Still, still these slopes, ’tis clear, / Our Gipsy-Scholar haunts, outliving thee!” | Lines flow without pause, mimicking the continuity of memory and thought. |
| Epiphora | “Where are the mowers… / …stood with suspended scythe to see us pass? / They all are gone, and thou art gone as well!” | Repetition of “gone” at the end of lines reinforces the theme of loss and absence. |
| Hyperbole | “Unbreachable the fort / Of the long-batter’d world uplifts its wall” | The description exaggerates the challenges and barriers of life to convey their overwhelming nature. |
| Imagery | “The tender purple spray on copse and briers!” | Vivid descriptions appeal to the senses, creating a detailed picture of the landscape. |
| Irony | “For Time, not Corydon, hath conquer’d thee!” | The poet contrasts pastoral immortality (Corydon) with the harsh reality of time, which claims even the most creative souls. |
| Metaphor | “The bloom is gone, and with the bloom go I!” | The bloom symbolizes youth and vitality, and its loss parallels the poet’s sense of decline. |
| Personification | “Night…weaves her shade” | Night is given human qualities, enhancing the sense of encroaching darkness and mortality. |
| Repetition | “Still, still these slopes” | Repetition emphasizes the poet’s yearning and connection to the landscape and its memory of Thyrsis. |
| Rhetorical Question | “Are ye too changed, ye hills?” | The poet’s question evokes a reflective tone and emphasizes his sense of alienation. |
| Simile | “Humid the air! leafless, yet soft as spring” | The air is compared to spring, highlighting the warmth and gentleness of the scene despite the wintry season. |
| Symbolism | “That single elm-tree bright / Against the west” | The elm tree symbolizes the memory of Thyrsis and serves as a beacon of hope and resilience. |
| Tone Shifts | From “But Thyrsis of his own will went away” to “Still, still these slopes, ’tis clear” | The poem shifts from mourning and loss to hope and reflection, illustrating the complexity of grief. |
| Vivid Detail | “With thorns once studded, old, white-blossom’d trees” | Specific and precise descriptions enrich the imagery and immerse the reader in the landscape of Arnold’s memory. |
Themes: “Thyrsis” by Matthew Arnold
1. Memory and Nostalgia: One of the central themes of “Thyrsis” is the power of memory and nostalgia as the poet revisits the landscape associated with his friendship with Thyrsis (Arthur Hugh Clough). Arnold reflects on the changes in the environment and mourns the loss of the past, as seen in lines like, “How changed is here each spot man makes or fills!” The poet’s recollection of walking these paths with Thyrsis emphasizes a longing for a simpler, more connected time. The elm tree, described as “That single elm-tree bright / Against the west,” serves as a poignant symbol of the constancy of memory, even as the physical world and relationships shift. Through these reflections, Arnold captures the bittersweet nature of revisiting places tied to formative memories and how they amplify the sense of loss when one’s companion is gone.
2. Loss and Mortality: Arnold mourns the death of Thyrsis and contemplates the inevitability of mortality. The elegiac tone permeates the poem, particularly in lines such as, “Yes, thou art gone! and round me too the night / In ever-nearing circle weaves her shade.” The recurring imagery of fading light and approaching night symbolizes the passage of time and the looming shadow of death. Thyrsis’s departure is not merely physical but also an allegory for the fragility of human life and artistic endeavor. The poet elevates Thyrsis’s struggles and eventual death, describing him as a “Gipsy-Scholar” who sought something beyond worldly existence. This theme underscores the tension between the temporal and the eternal, illustrating the pain of losing a loved one while finding solace in their enduring spirit.
3. The Power of Nature: Nature is both a source of comfort and a backdrop for reflection in “Thyrsis.” Arnold uses the natural landscape to mirror his emotions and to evoke the eternal rhythms of life. The description of Oxford as “That sweet city with her dreaming spires” situates the poem within a pastoral ideal, where the beauty of the countryside is timeless and unchanging. Yet, Arnold also laments the changes wrought by human activity, as in, “Down each green bank hath gone the ploughboy’s team.” The enduring presence of the “signal-tree” offers hope, symbolizing resilience and continuity amidst change. Nature in “Thyrsis” functions as a bridge between memory and the present, providing solace to the poet while also amplifying his sense of loss and the transient nature of human life.
4. Artistic Pursuit and Idealism: Thyrsis represents the artist or dreamer who seeks higher truths beyond material existence. Arnold contrasts the poet’s struggles with the pressures of the mundane world, highlighting the difficulty of maintaining artistic integrity. Thyrsis’s departure from the pastoral landscape to seek a greater truth parallels the artist’s eternal quest for meaning. The poet laments, “Some life of men unblest / He knew, which made him droop,” suggesting that Thyrsis’s idealism led him to reject the simplicity of rural life. This pursuit ultimately consumes him, as seen in, “He could not wait their passing, he is dead.” However, the poem also celebrates Thyrsis’s quest as noble and enduring, emphasizing that his spirit lives on in the poet’s memory and in the metaphorical “signal-tree.” Arnold portrays artistic pursuit as both a burden and a transcendental endeavor, underscoring its importance in the human experience.
Literary Theories and “Thyrsis” by Matthew Arnold
| Literary Theory | Application in “Thyrsis” |
| Romanticism | Focus on Nature and the Sublime: The poem deeply engages with the natural world, finding solace and meaning in the “brambles pale with mist engarlanded,” “fields where soft sheep from cages pull the hay,” and the “lonely tree against the western sky.” These natural settings offer a sense of peace and transcendence, contrasting with the anxieties of human life. Emphasis on Emotion and Subjectivity: “Thyrsis” is deeply personal, exploring the speaker’s raw emotions of grief and loss. The poem emphasizes the subjective experience of mourning and the power of memory to shape individual perceptions of the world. Idealization of the Past: The speaker nostalgically recalls “old days” spent with Thyrsis, romanticizing the past and lamenting the changes wrought by time. The poem suggests a yearning for a simpler, more idyllic existence. |
| Elegy and Pastoral | Mourning and Commemoration: As an elegy, “Thyrsis” mourns the loss of a friend. The poem follows the traditional elegiac form, exploring themes of mortality, memory, and the enduring power of art. Idealization of Rural Life: The poem draws upon pastoral conventions, depicting the countryside as a haven of peace and simplicity. However, this idyllic vision is disrupted by the realities of change and loss, highlighting the limitations of pastoral escape. Exploration of Artistic Inspiration: The poem examines the relationship between artistic inspiration and the natural world. Thyrsis, the shepherd poet, finds inspiration in the rural landscape, but his art ultimately transcends the limitations of his rustic surroundings. |
| New Criticism | Focus on Textual Form and Meaning: New Criticism would emphasize the internal structure and language of the poem. The poem’s intricate rhyme scheme, its use of imagery and symbolism (e.g., “the signal-elm,” the “Gipsy-Scholar”), and its complex intertextual references all contribute to its overall meaning and aesthetic effect. Close Reading and Textual Analysis: A New Critical reading would closely examine the poem’s language, analyzing the nuances of diction, imagery, and figurative language to understand its deeper meaning and how its various elements work together to create a unified whole. |
| Queer Theory | Exploration of Non-normative Relationships: While the poem explicitly focuses on male friendship, some readings might interpret the relationship between the speaker and Thyrsis through a queer lens. The intense emotional bond and shared experiences could be seen as a form of homoerotic longing, challenging traditional notions of masculinity and male friendship. Subtext and Social Constraints: Queer Theory would examine the social and cultural constraints that may have influenced the expression of the speaker’s feelings for Thyrsis. The poem, while ostensibly about grief, may also reflect the limitations of expressing non-normative desires in a heteronormative society. |
Critical Questions about “Thyrsis” by Matthew Arnold
1. How does Arnold use the landscape to reflect his emotions and his relationship with Thyrsis?
Arnold uses the landscape in “Thyrsis” as a mirror for his emotions, imbuing the natural world with a sense of permanence and transience to explore his grief over Thyrsis’s death. The hills and countryside, once familiar and comforting, now feel altered by the passage of time and the absence of his companion: “How changed is here each spot man makes or fills!” The poet recalls the path “by Childsworth Farm” and the elm tree on the hill, symbolic of his memories with Thyrsis. This imagery evokes a sense of loss, as even the signal-tree, once a steadfast reminder of their shared moments, is no longer the same: “That single elm-tree bright / Against the west—I miss it! Is it gone?” Yet, the enduring beauty of the landscape, such as “That sweet city with her dreaming spires,” also offers solace, showing how nature serves as both a repository for memory and a refuge from grief. Arnold’s descriptions emphasize how the external world can reflect internal feelings, creating a rich interplay between the natural and emotional landscapes.
2. What role does the theme of mortality play in shaping the tone and message of the poem?
Mortality is a central theme in “Thyrsis,” shaping the poem’s elegiac tone and providing its philosophical depth. Arnold grapples with the inevitability of death, reflecting on how it severs personal connections yet imbues life with meaning. Thyrsis’s death is deeply felt, as Arnold laments, “Yes, thou art gone! and round me too the night / In ever-nearing circle weaves her shade.” This imagery of encroaching darkness symbolizes the poet’s own awareness of life’s finite nature. The comparison of Thyrsis’s passing to the departure of the cuckoo in June, “The bloom is gone, and with the bloom go I,” captures the ephemerality of existence and the inevitability of decay. However, Arnold finds some consolation in the lasting influence of Thyrsis’s spirit, symbolized by the “signal-tree” that stands as a beacon of memory and resilience. Through these reflections, Arnold not only mourns Thyrsis but also contemplates the universal truth of mortality, suggesting that while death is inescapable, the enduring legacy of the departed provides solace.
3. How does Arnold explore the tension between pastoral idealism and the realities of life?
In “Thyrsis,” Arnold juxtaposes the pastoral ideal with the harsh realities of life, revealing a tension between the idyllic and the pragmatic. The countryside, with its “quiet fields” and “sweet spring-days,” represents a nostalgic, almost utopian vision of simplicity and beauty. This idealism is evident in the poet’s memories of shepherd-piping and wandering with Thyrsis: “Here, too, our shepherd-pipes we first assay’d.” However, Arnold acknowledges that this vision cannot sustain itself in the face of life’s complexities. Thyrsis, though deeply connected to the countryside, felt an existential unease: “Some life of men unblest / He knew, which made him droop.” His departure from the pastoral life, driven by a desire for higher meaning, ultimately led to his demise. Arnold’s lament, “He could not rest,” underscores the conflict between longing for pastoral simplicity and confronting the challenges of the human condition. By presenting this tension, Arnold critiques the fragility of pastoral idealism when faced with the unrelenting realities of life.
4. What is the significance of Thyrsis’s quest for higher meaning, and how does it resonate with Arnold’s personal philosophy?
Thyrsis’s quest for higher meaning is a pivotal element of the poem, reflecting Arnold’s admiration for those who pursue truth and transcendence, even at great personal cost. Thyrsis’s dissatisfaction with the pastoral life, his yearning for something beyond the material world, is described poignantly: “He went; his piping took a troubled sound / Of storms that rage outside our happy ground.” This pursuit aligns with Arnold’s own philosophical outlook, which values intellectual and spiritual exploration over complacency. Though Thyrsis’s idealism isolates him and contributes to his death, Arnold views his quest as noble and enduring: “For Time, not Corydon, hath conquer’d thee!” Thyrsis’s legacy is preserved in the poet’s memory and symbolized by the enduring “signal-tree,” a reminder of his spiritual aspirations. Arnold suggests that such quests for higher meaning are essential to the human experience, even if they lead to struggles and sacrifice. This resonates with Arnold’s broader philosophy, where the pursuit of truth and beauty transcends temporal limitations and connects individuals to something eternal.
Literary Works Similar to “Thyrsis” by Matthew Arnold
- “Adonais” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
This elegy mourns the death of fellow poet John Keats, much like “Thyrsis” laments the loss of Arthur Hugh Clough. Both poems elevate the departed to an almost mythic status, blending personal grief with reflections on mortality and artistic legacy. - “In Memoriam A.H.H.” by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Tennyson’s long elegy for his friend Arthur Hallam parallels Arnold’s emotional reflection on loss. Both explore the themes of memory, death, and the enduring connection between friends through nature and art. - “Lycidas” by John Milton
Milton’s elegy for his college friend Edward King is akin to “Thyrsis” in its pastoral setting and symbolic use of nature to reflect on mortality and the poet’s grief. Both elevate their subjects as idealized figures lost too soon. - “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” by Thomas Gray
This reflective meditation on death and the passage of time shares with “Thyrsis” a sense of loss and the use of the rural landscape as a symbol of both permanence and change. - “The Scholar-Gipsy” by Matthew Arnold
Written by Arnold himself, this poem complements “Thyrsis” as it also reflects on the transient nature of life and the enduring power of idealism. Both poems are set in the Oxfordshire countryside and explore themes of memory and loss.
Representative Quotations of “Thyrsis” by Matthew Arnold
| Quotation | Context | Theoretical Perspective |
| “How changed is here each spot man makes or fills!” | The poet observes the changes in the landscape since his visits with Thyrsis. | Nostalgia and the Temporal: Reflects Arnold’s preoccupation with impermanence and the passage of time. |
| “Yes, thou art gone! and round me too the night / In ever-nearing circle weaves her shade.” | Arnold mourns Thyrsis’s death, using night as a metaphor for mortality and encroaching grief. | Elegy and Mortality: Highlights the inevitability of death and the universality of human loss. |
| “That single elm-tree bright / Against the west—I miss it! Is it gone?” | The elm tree symbolizes Thyrsis and the shared memories of their friendship, now absent. | Symbolism of Nature: Nature as a metaphor for memory and the loss of shared experience. |
| “The bloom is gone, and with the bloom go I!” | Comparing Thyrsis’s death to the fading bloom of flowers, marking the transience of life and beauty. | Ephemerality: Reinforces the transient nature of life and the inevitability of decline. |
| “Still, still these slopes, ’tis clear, / Our Gipsy-Scholar haunts, outliving thee!” | The poet imagines Thyrsis’s spirit lingering in the landscape. | Legacy and Immortality: Suggests the endurance of memory and influence beyond physical death. |
| “Some life of men unblest / He knew, which made him droop.” | Thyrsis is portrayed as restless and disillusioned with the pastoral ideal, yearning for a deeper truth. | Existential Struggle: Explores the conflict between human ideals and worldly discontent. |
| “That sweet city with her dreaming spires” | A nostalgic description of Oxford, representing beauty and intellectual inspiration. | Romantic Idealism: Oxford symbolizes the enduring beauty and spiritual elevation associated with art. |
| “He could not wait their passing, he is dead.” | Thyrsis’s inability to endure life’s hardships leads to his untimely death. | Tragic Idealism: Reflects the tension between artistic pursuit and the harsh realities of life. |
| “Time, not Corydon, hath conquer’d thee!” | The poet acknowledges that Thyrsis was defeated by the inexorability of time, not by any mortal rival. | Temporal Power: Emphasizes time’s dominance over human aspirations and achievements. |
| “Our tree yet crowns the hill, / Our Scholar travels yet the loved hill-side.” | The enduring tree symbolizes hope and the lasting influence of Thyrsis’s spirit. | Symbolism of Hope: Suggests resilience and continuity in memory and shared ideals. |
Suggested Readings: “Thyrsis” by Matthew Arnold
- Knickerbocker, William S. “Matthew Arnold’s Theory of Poetry.” The Sewanee Review, vol. 33, no. 4, 1925, pp. 440–50. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27533919. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025.
- O’Gorman, Francis. “Matthew Arnold and Rereading.” The Cambridge Quarterly, vol. 41, no. 2, 2012, pp. 245–61. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43492397. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025.
- Ogilvie, R. M. “The Song of Thyrsis.” The Journal of Hellenic Studies, vol. 82, 1962, pp. 106–10. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/628546. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025.
- CLAUSSON, NILS. “Pastoral Elegy into Romantic Lyric: Generic Transformation in Matthew Arnold’s ‘Thyrsis.'” Victorian Poetry, vol. 48, no. 2, 2010, pp. 173–94. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27896672. Accessed 10 Jan. 2025.
- Arnold, Matthew. The Scholar Gipsy & Thyrsis. London: The Medici Society, 1912.