His earlier poems, although of exceptional caliber, have failed to be acknowledged by the masses. Also, his later poems have been heavily criticized for vagueness, a blow responsible for causing his retirement. However, as unsuccessful as many of Gray’s poems are, they are brilliantly written. Expressions of self-evident truth, conveyed in a way that is mature, whimsical, and heartrending, characterize the majority of Gray’s poems. Of all Gray’s poems, though, there is one that stands out. “Elegy in a Country Churchyard,” written as a response to the death of one of Gray’s closest friends, has received universal acclaim from people of all different social backgrounds and time periods.