How does Thyrsis honor Arthur Hugh Clough?

In his 1866 poem "Thyrsis," Matthew Arnold honors his late friend, the poet Arthur Hugh Clough, by employing the conventions of the pastoral elegy.

Arnold portrays Clough as "Thyrsis," a traditional Greek name for a shepherd-poet, effectively placing him within an idealized pastoral landscape. Through this framework, Arnold pays tribute to their shared history by vividly recalling the Oxford countryside they explored together as students during the 1840s. The poem serves as a reflective meditation on their friendship, allowing Arnold to review the evolution of their youthful ideals and the paths their lives took after leaving the university. By utilizing this formal, meditative structure, Arnold elevates his personal grief into a broader reflection on mortality and the passage of time.12