The poem, “Thanatopsis,” written by William Cullen Bryant, is a beautiful literary work that explores death. Bryant attempts to portray the ongoing relationship between nature and death. In William Cullen Bryant’s poem “Thanatopsis,” the correlation between the attitude taken toward nature and death and Romanticism thinking is portrayed by the beauty and mystery of nature, idealism, and the supernatural and gothic. Bryant illustrates the beauty and mystery of nature by personifying Nature as a nurturing, caring woman who comforts the reader as he begins to fear death. Nature opens herself “To him who in the love of Nature holds/ Communion with her visible forms” (lines 1-2). He is almost in a holy relationship with Nature; and in these moments of communion, Nature appears to communicate with him. As he begins to fear death, the speaker tells him to “Go forth, under the open sky, and list/ To Nature’s teachings” (lines 14-15). The reader can find Nature’s comfort and insight in the calmness of the outdoors. Moreover, what once nurtured him will claim him; he will become one with Nature “To mix with the elements” (line …show more content…
Death makes equal of everyone who dies. The speaker tells him that when he dies, he will “lie down/ With patriarchs of the infant world” (lines 33-34) and with “the wise, the good,/ Fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past,/ All in one mighty sepulcher” (lines 35-38). He will lie down with great patriarchs in one giant tomb, and Bryant makes this sound pleasing and comforting that he will be with great men from throughout the ages. Furthermore, death is a journey that everyone must take. He cannot run from death because “All that breathe/ Will share thy destiny” (60-61). He should not go “like the quarry slave at night” (line 77). Everyone is destined to die, and he should live his life and face death not in fear but in the faith that nothing will happen to him
Bryant explicitly shows the reader his love for nature through the poem. Lines 15-22 demonstrate this love: “The thick roof of green and stirring branches is alive and musical with birds, that sing and sport in
The poem “Thanatopsis” by William Cullen Bryant reveals a very unusual aspect of nature. While most people think of nature as beauty and full of life, Bryant takes a more interesting approach to nature. He exposes a correlation between nature, life, death, and re-birth. Using nature as a foothold, Bryant exercises methods such as tone, setting, and imagery in a very intriguing way while writing “Thanatopsis.”
...nd happily when he says "Thou go not, like the quarry slave at night,"(77), so we would not be as a tired slave at night, who did not enjoy moment of the day thus we should live our lives in such a way that we would not have any regrets when it is time for us to go. Bryant also illustrates the enormity of the place where we would be laid after death by the following words in this poem " nor coulst thou wish couch more magnificent. "(32-33). This suggests us that we should not live our life lazily since there is the most relaxing and comfortable place waiting for us which none of us can ever experience in life.
Bryant uses the fact that we are not alone in death to comfort his readers. Through this, he explains that when people die, they will be reunited with loved ones that they have lost in the past. He also explains that even those who have not died yet will die eventually and they will be with them again as well. He says, “Yet not to thine eternal resting place shalt thou retire alone, nor couldst thou wish for a couch more magnificent.” By saying this, Bryant is stating that everyone dies and...
William Cullen Bryant wrote a poem regarding the passing of people from this world into the afterlife which he called “Thanatopsis”. The word Thanatopsis is actually a Greek word meaning ‘meditation on or contemplation of death’. It is the opinion of some readers that this poem expresses a traditional religious view of afterlife in heaven where as others who read it see it as a process that only involves our rejoining with nature. Bryant made references to heaven, nature and spirits which contribute to the discussion on both sides of the argument. Poetry, just like every other form of art, is subject to interpretation. After taking a closer look at Thanatopsis it will be easier to see just why these people cannot seem to agree. Bryant made
A person should live life without fearing death and think of death as a pleasant rest. In the poem Bryant says, "When thoughts/Of the last bitter hour come like a blight/Over thy spirit,"(8-15). This quote implies when a person fears death he should listen to nature. He also states, "So live, that when the thy summons come to join/The innumerable caravans, …Thou go not, like a quarry-slave at night, /Scourged to his dungeon."(73-78). He explains here that a person should live life without fearing death. In the following lines the poet states, "approach thy grave, /Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch/About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams."(79-81). By this quote the author is saying a person should think of death as a plea...
Thomas presents death to us using a metaphor, he describes death as being “that good night” and thus makes death seem as something unknown, unseen, and unfamiliar. The portrayal of death as “that good night” suggests that death is like night time, dark and with a sense of unfamiliarity. This causes us to begin seeing death as something that we should fear and avoid or be cautious of. The first of line of the poem, “Do not go gentle into that good night” is an ironic contradiction, as it seems strange that we should not go gentle into something that is good. However, the next line of the poem which says “Old age should burn and rave at close of day”, makes it apparent that the previous line should be taken connotatively and that phrases like “go gentle and “good night” are symbolic of the dying process. When old age is mentioned in the poem in that line it makes us aware that death is imminent. References about day and night are also symbolic of life and death. Dickinson makes strong contradictions between old age and raging against death, as it is typically accepted that after a long and fruitful life, old age would prefer a gentle slip into a peaceful welcomed death. However, Thomas says otherwise, he advocates that old age should not give into the ease and comfort of death, and should instead
The speaker started the poem by desiring the privilege of death through the use of similes, metaphors, and several other forms of language. As the events progress, the speaker gradually changes their mind because of the many complications that death evokes. The speaker is discontent because of human nature; the searching for something better, although there is none. The use of language throughout this poem emphasized these emotions, and allowed the reader the opportunity to understand what the speaker felt.
In her poem “It was not Death, for I stood up,” Emily Dickinson creates a depressing state of hopelessness felt by the speaker when trying to understand the tormented condition of her psychological state. The poem produces an extended metaphor of death, which resembles the speaker’s life and state of mind, through the use of various literary devices, such as parallel structure, repetition, imagery, personification, and simile, in order to create an overwhelming sense of hopelessness regarding the speaker’s undefined condition.
In the first stanza, the poet seems to be offering a conventional romanticized view of Nature:
Nature is often a focal point for many author’s works, whether it is expressed through lyrics, short stories, or poetry. Authors are given a cornucopia of pictures and descriptions of nature’s splendor that they can reproduce through words. It is because of this that more often than not a reader is faced with multiple approaches and descriptions to the way nature is portrayed. Some authors tend to look at nature from a deeper and personal observation as in William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, while other authors tend to focus on a more religious beauty within nature as show in Gerard Manley Hopkins “Pied Beauty”, suggesting to the reader that while to each their own there is always a beauty to be found in nature and nature’s beauty can be uplifting for the human spirit both on a visual and spiritual level.
I can picture him seeing life and feeling it in every flower, ant, and piece of grass that crosses his path. The emotion he feels is strongly suggested in this line "To me the meanest flower that blows can give / Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears." Not only is this showing the kind of fulfillment he receives from nature, but also the power that nature possesses in his mind.... ... middle of paper ... ...
In the excerpt, Jest and Earnest, Annie Dillard suggests that nature is beautiful because it is powerful and, sometimes, that power brings danger. She supports this claim by illustrating her personal experiences of animals in nature; then, questioning the reasons behind nature as it is; and, finally, making references to fire to explain nature’s extravagance. The author’s purpose is to encourage the audience to experience nature and reflect on those experiences to gain a deeper understanding of nature and the earth as a whole, while she does the same. In order to lead the audience to speculate what they know of nature, Dillard writes in a respectful and speculative tone.
Through the ingenious works of poetry the role of nature has imprinted the 18th and 19th century with a mark of significance. The common terminology ‘nature’ has been reflected by our greatest poets in different meanings and understanding; Alexander Pope believed in reason and moderation, whereas Blake and Wordsworth embraced passion and imagination.
Many poets are inspired by the impressive persona that exists in nature to influence their style of poetry. The awesome power of nature can bring about thought and provoke certain feelings the poet has towards the natural surroundings.