Read the following stanza and answer the questions that follow:
The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
The lowing herd wind slowly over the lea,
The plowman homeward plods his weary way,
And leaves the world to darkness and to me.
(From Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard)
i. What time of day is being described in the poem?
ii. Identify two images used by the poet to create a peaceful atmosphere.
What mood or tone is created by the description in the passage?
iv. What deeper theme does the poet introduce through the imagery of sunset and silence?
V. How does the poet portray the lives of rural people in this excerpt?