"Sonnet [on the Death of Mr Richard West]"

• Archive Work ID: poems.sorw
• Uniform Title: "Sonnet [on the Death of Mr Richard West]" [e-text]
• First Line: In vain to me the smiling mornings shine,
• Language: English
• First Published: 1775
• References: Starr/Hendrickson (eds.), Complete Poems (1966), 92; Lonsdale (ed.), Poems (1969), 64-68
• Summary: Composed at Stoke Poges shortly after the death of Richard West, Gray's closest friend, on 1 June 1742. First published, entitled "Sonnet On the Death of Mr. Richard West", in Mason's Poems (1775), 60.

1 Manuscript:

• • Archive MS ID: mss.0160 (Source: EAD/XML)
  • Title: "Sonnet"
  • Date: August 1742
  • Physical Description: 1 page; autograph fair copy
  • Language: English
  • Location: GBR/1058/GRA/1, Commonplace Book, Vol. I, 284, College Library, Pembroke College, Cambridge, Cambridge, UK <http://www.pem.cam.ac.uk/>
  • Alternate Form: Microfilm copy available in Poetic Commonplace Books and Manuscripts of Thomas Gray, 1716-1771, from Pembroke College, Cambridge (1999), reel one, facsimile in Gosse (ed.), Works (1884), vol. iv, frontispiece
  • References: Smith (ed.), Index (1989), item GrT 133, 92; Poetic C. B., Pembroke College (1999), 25
  • Contents: Autograph fair copy, here entitled "Sonnet" and annotated "at Stoke, Aug: 1742", in Gray's Commonplace Book, vol I, 284. It is listed as "West (Richard) Sonnet, on him" in Gray's index to vol II.
  • Surrogates: Digital facsimile [JPEG] from original MS available online.