 The poem ends with the narrator turning towards his own fate , accepting his life and accomplishments . The poem , like many of Gray 's , incorporates a narrator who is contemplating his position in a transient world that is mysterious and tragic . Although the comparison between obscurity and renown is commonly seen as universal and not within a specific context with a specific political message , there are political ramifications for Gray 's choices . Both John Milton and John Hampden spent time near the setting of Stoke Poges , which was also affected by the English Civil War . The poem 's composition could also have been prompted by the entrance of Prince William , Duke of Cumberland into London or by a trial of Jacobite nobility in 1746 . 
