what does this quotation from thomas gray means?

Question

"Yet ah! why should they know their fate?
Since sorrow never comes too late,
And happiness too swiftly flies.
Thought would destroy their paradise.
No more; where ignorance is bliss,
'Tis folly to be wise."
-Thomas Gray, Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College

and also: what does the word "folly" means?

Answer 1

Gray is writing about his observations of youth and life, beautifully portrayed as if at arm's length. There are many classical references throughout the poem, which, unfortunately, are lost on the modern age. One of the most important lines in the poem comes from Menander, the Greek dramatist, in verse 60, "Tell them they are men." It refers to an answer given when a character was asked why he is so miserable. The response, "Because I am a man!" refers to the unfortunate yet inevitable process by which our lives, filled with hope and promise, fall into old age, sickness, and finally death. It is important to note that this poem was written several weeks after Gray's best friend died.
Hence Gray's last verses seem to be a reflection on what he knows will come eventually. You left off the beginning lines of the last stanza,
"To each his suff'rings: all are men,
Condemned alike to groan;
The tender for another's pain,
Th' unfeeling for his own."
These are important in setting the tone and in them one can see how he feels about his friend, now deceased. This youth, so carefully portrayed, is going to experience a great many hardships. Gray wrestles with whether he should tell them what he knows, hoping to save them somehow. He concludes that he shouldn't because they will learn in their own time
Clearly, ignorance is not bliss, and Gray is not encouraging any more lack of thought than already exists by those who read him. However, he does say that the youthful will have their time where they will come to know, just as he has. Hence, wisdom has its place, here, in not telling the boys about the suffering that awaits them. That would ultimately be foolish. Hence it would be folly or a foolish mistake to try and explain to them now what he has learned.

Answer 2

In the first two lines he is saying that we shouldn't want to know what is going to make us sorrowful ahead of time. Sorrows come soon enough (and therefore never too late) and the fate of us all is death. Why should we dwell on how this will happen ahead of time it just interferes with

line 3--because our happinesses don't last long enough anyway

so, line 4 -- to think about future sorrows destroys our present
happiness.

In line 5, where he says "No more;", he just means he isn't going to keep talking in this vein--he thinks he's said enough--
so he's going for the punch line--or the conclusion of the thought he has raised in lines one through four.

And the conclusion is

the last two lines --

where not knowing a thing can't hurt us and not dwelling on it only allows us to buiild on the good

we would be foolish to wish to have the wisdom of knowing the future.

Folly is foolishness.

Hope that helps.

Answer 3

He means exactly what he says,,,Ignorance is often,,,bliss. There are very likely, questions in this life and Universe, we will never have answers to, perhaps shouldn't have answers to, and might be better off NOT having answers to.

Folly: A lack of good judgement, an instance of foolishness, an excessively costly, and often unprofitable undertaking.

Websters

Answer 4

First line, he says we shouldn't "know" our "fate." He says that we'll end up full of sadness and regrets anyway, and that happiness never lasts. So, if we knew what would happen to us, we'd be dreading the day we die, and all the misfortunes in our lives, and stuff like that. At least if you didn't know what would happen to you, you'd only be sad in the later part of your life. If you did know about it, you'd be sad your whole life! Which explains the next couple of lines, which tell us to just let things take their course. Don't think about tomorrow, just let it be. Folly refers to anything foolish. In the poem, Mr. Gray says that being wise and having "knowledge" is actually being very unwise, because thinking about the future is going to spoil all the fun.

Answer 5

In this context, "folly" means "silly, unwise, stupid, senseless, or irrational."

When applying to Eton (which is actually a "prep" school and very exclusive), applicants should not take for granted how their application will be viewed by the Masters. If they are optimistic, the "bad news" will come too soon. If they are pessimistic, their suffering will be prolonged by the waiting process.

So, it's senseless to try to figure out how the Masters will evaluate the application. If people would adopt this attitude, then "ignorance (of the outcome) is bliss," otherwise one will either be disappointed or suffer needlessly.

Answer 6

To each his sufferings: all are men,
Condemn'd alike to groan—
The tender for another's pain,
Th' unfeeling for his own.

....."Yet ah!

In this ode from Thomas Gray, the theme is compassion, for others and for self. But more importantly, the poet Gray laments the wise, because in knowledge, there is pain. To know is to suffer. And there will be suffering, and yes, perhaps ignorance is bliss, but knowledge and suffering are unavoidable.

Answer 7

Folly is foolishness or an unprofitable under-taking. I am not familiar with this piece, but it looks like Thomas Gray is not looking forward to going to Eton College and giving up his carefree youth. Just my guess.

Answer 8

Hi,

Here's my interpretation....

"Yet ah! why should they know their fate?
The author is exclaiming- Why should "they" know their fate...

Since sorrow never comes too late,
As sorrow can come ANY time- it can come right at this moment...

And happiness too swiftly flies.
And the happy moments just pass off too quickly!!

Thought would destroy their paradise.
The thought- (he is refering to the thought of KNOWING ones fate BEFOREHAND) would destroy the paradise ( the PRESENT they are living in!)

No more; where ignorance is bliss,
He s excaliming- NO MORE!! and that in These situations where it is better to be ignorant ( its good NOT to know about something!)

'Tis folly to be wise."
Its a MISTAKE to be wise in such situations!!

The word folly means Mistake!

Heres's summary:
The author is saying that why should anyone know one's future... as you never know that sorrow could just be around the corner, and happiness would just fly away next moment...then having knowledge of one's future would destroy the present paradise we are living in. Therefore its good to be ignorant and not have knowledge of the future than to be WISE!!

hope its clear...
Cheers$

Answer 9

It sounds like they are happy in this moment but they have some miserable fate that is going to happen to them and he is asking what is the point of them knowing about it when sorrow is always on the edge of happiness waiting to barge in and ruin happiness, It never comes to late, why make it come to soon. If they think about things, it is going to destroy the bliss of the moment , it is better to remain ignorant and it is folly or misfortune to be wise.

Answer 10

That's interesting