Give an account of the pastoral elements in Arnold’s poetry that you have read. 

Answer

Give an account of the pastoral elements in Arnold’s poetry that you have read. 

Pastoral elements mean images of peaceful country life, nature, and shepherds. It shows beautiful natural scenes with fields, hills, rivers, and simple village life. Matthew Arnold’s (1822-1888) poems are rich with pastoral elements. His beautiful natural scenes help him to express his feelings of sadness, hope, and the difference between nature and modern life. 

Nature as a Peaceful Background: In “The Scholar Gipsy” (1853), Arnold uses peaceful nature as a background. The poem is full of beautiful natural scenes. We see the fields, hills, flowers, and rivers of the Oxford countryside. The speaker watches the shepherd and reapers working in the field. He then tells the shepherd that he will remain out there until sunset. He will enjoy the scenery and study the towers of Oxford. The poet writes:

“Through the thick corn the scarlet poppies peep…”

So, there are shepherds, sheep, cornfields, poppies, and wildflowers. These are all pastoral elements. 

Nature Brings Back Memories: Arnold uses pastoral elements like trees, hills, flowers, fields, and the River Thames in his elegy “Thyrsis” (1865). In this poem, the poet mourns the death of his friend Arthur Hugh Clough. Here, nature is not just a decoration. It brings back memories of the past. The poet remembers how he and Clough enjoyed the peaceful countryside together. They enjoyed hearing sheep bells and watching mowers cutting grass. But now, everything has changed. He writes:

“Where are the mowers…?

They all are gone, and thou art gone as well!”

These lines show how nature itself reminds the poet of the loss of his friend.

Nature as a Symbol: Arnold also uses pastoral elements as symbols in his poems. Nature stands for memory, hope, and purity. In “Thyrsis,” the elm tree on the hill becomes a symbol of hope and the memory of Clough. The poet and his