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How does Lycidas use the conventions of a pastoral elegy?
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John Milton
John Milton, engraving by Jacob Houbraken, 1741.
John Milton’s Lycidas (1638) is widely considered the preeminent example of the pastoral elegy, a genre that employs specific classical conventions to mourn the dead.12
Milton adheres to the formal structure of the genre by:
- Idealized Personas: The poem represents the deceased, Edward King, as the shepherd "Lycidas," a name rooted in classical tradition. The speaker adopts the persona of a fellow shepherd, establishing a bond of shared labor and academic life.31
- Formal Conventions: The poem follows a traditional pattern, beginning with an invocation to the Muses and an expression of grief. It incorporates elements such as a funeral procession, descriptions of nature mourning in sympathy with the poet, and philosophical musings on mortality.2
- Allegory and Satire: Milton uses the pastoral setting to address contemporary issues, notably critiquing the corruption of the Church of England’s ministry by contrasting it with the ideal of the "Good Shepherd".1
- Resolution: The poem concludes with an affirmative transition, depicting King’s resurrection and ascent to heaven, thereby reconciling the speaker’s grief with a higher, divine order.12