Nature and Death in Thanatopsis by William Cullen Bryant
The title of William Cullen Bryant’s poem “Thanatopsis” is Greek for “a view of death”. In this poem Bryant personifies nature and discusses death from it’s perspective. The poem begins by talking of the importance and beauty of nature. The original persona used at the beginning of the poem shares with the reader his great appreciation towards nature and the importance to one who appreciates nature to take full advantage of what it offers and learn from it all that they can. The poem continues starting on line 18 by taking on the “still voice” of nature and through her words comforting he whom listens on her honest view of death. Nature sees the world through all time whereas man is limited to a short span of years, therefore nature observes each death as only what it represents on the full scale of time. She has seen that every living thing dies. No man whether he be as important or wise as a king or a simple infant ends up in the same place; we all go back to nature. In line 73, the poem begins it’s conclusion by returning to the original persona whose words show that he has heard and heeded the advice of nature and has therefore obtained an attitude of acceptance towards this inevitable fate that is shared by all.
Most of the poem’s intent is presented clearly to the reader by the use personification and imagery. The bulk of the poem is words from Cullen’s personified version of nature. Nature is referred to with pronouns as a female often in the poem perhaps because the ideas of gentleness and beauty are often associated more with women than men and Cullen intends to portray nature as having such characteristics. Imagery is in constant use throughout t...
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The main theme of the poem is reflected in the title. Bryant presents to the reader a “view of death” they have likely not considered before. The persona’s “view of death” changes when influenced by nature and with his new understanding comes a new acceptance and understanding of life. This higher understanding is what Bryant through the persona shares with the reader in hopes of helping the reader to learn from his experiences. The poem teaches the reader that it is useless to view death with worry or fear because no worrying did anything to prevent death from the masses that have already returned to nature, and no fear will delay the death of the many to come that will experience the same fate. There is no living thing that is exempt from this fact of life and grieving this inevitable fate is a waste of time-just appreciate the chance you have.
Overall, dwell on this process of changing throughout the poem, it can be understood that the poet is demonstrating a particular attitude towards life. Everyone declines and dies eventually, but it would be better to embrace an optimistic, opened mind than a pessimistic, giving-up attitude; face the approach of death unflinchingly, calmly.
Although death reigns supreme in the universal fears of man, Thanatopsis reassures the reader that death comes naturally to everyone. William Cullen Bryant uses emotion to reinforce this point. For example, it seems as if fear should be instilled by Bryant’s description, stating “When thoughts / Of the last bitter hour come like a blight / Over thy spirit” (8-10), this fear vanishes quickly when Bryant continues “Go forth under the open sky, and list / To Nature’s teaching” (14-15). Although this paralyzing thought of death washes over many, Bryant argues Nature soothes and calms this fear. Despite these emotions of terror and pain,
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Chuck Palahniuk once said, “The first step to eternal life, is you have to die.” In William Cullen Bryant’s poem “Thanatopsis”, he does not mention eternal life or anything religious, but speaks about death. He tells his readers that death is a natural thing and they should not worry about it. William Cullen Bryant, in his poem “Thanatopsis”, portrays a comforting view of death. Throughout the poem, Bryant encourages his readers by explaining that in death they are not alone, that death, like life, is a natural process, and that they will be among some of the finest people who walked the earth.
Death and decay is something that everyone understands and the process is not questioned so his references to our return to nature in a physical sense are very direct and to the point. Throughout the poem he mentions our rejoining with nature in different ways. For instance, on line 24 when he says that our bodies will “be resolved to earth again” (868 Bryant) he is talking about a physical decay. On line 61-62 Bryant states “All that breathe Will share thy destiny.” (868 Bryant) talking about the destiny of death itself and that no matter how you live it is unavoidable. He continues on saying that when you have died and those who live will eventually share the same fate “and shall come And make their bed as thee.” (869 Bryant). The most obvious and plainly stated reference to nature is on line 30 stating, “The oak Shall send his roots abroad, and pierce thy mould.” (868 Bryant). This statement is the best reference to nature because it speaks of it in a very matter of fact fashion detailing the way your own flesh will nourish the earth. All of these things he uses to depict our return to nature, the earth, the fact that we will all share the same dirt bed and share the same destiny. That destiny of course, is death
Personification is an important theme throughout this poem. In lines 1-2 it says, “The mountain held the town as in a shadow I saw so much before I slept there once:.” Also in lines 3-4 it says, “I noticed that I missed stars in the west, where its black body cut into the sky.” This is an example of personification. In lines 5-6 it says, Near me it seemed: I felt it like a wall behind which i was sheltered from a wind.” Most of the examples showing personification in this poem, are displayed in the first couple of lines of the poem.
He encourages the reader to live life to its maximum potential in preparation of death. The writing of William Cullen Bryant went against customary styles of writing and attempted to change the way that death was portrayed to people. Through the use of personification, strong imagery, and contemplative thinking, Bryant combines the beauty of nature with the strength of God in a way that paints death as a lively picture rather than a melancholy one. Bryant inspires the reader to live an impactful life and to accept the coming of death with a sense of renewal and
This essay is anchored on the goal of looking closer and scrutinizing the said poem. It is divided into subheadings for the discussion of the analysis of each of the poem’s stanzas.
The poet in her writing used the language tools of symbolism, images, metaphor and nature to illustrate her poetic ideas. The writer, used the word ‘’Hunters’’ in the first line which indicates an imagery of man in existence, example
Death is one of the only true constants in the universe and is the only guarantee in life. Everyone knows of death and everyone will experience it, but to the living death is still one of life's greatest mysteries. In some cultures death is celebrated and embraced, while in others it is feared. However it is perceived, death holds different meanings for different people. Through the art of poetry a writer can give a reader many different outlooks and maybe a better understanding of life and death.
In the first instance, death is portrayed as a “bear” (2) that reaches out seasonally. This is then followed by a man whom “ comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse / / to buy me…” This ever-changing persona that encapsulates death brings forth a curiosity about death and its presence in the living world. In the second stanza, “measles-pox” (6) is an illness used to portray death’s existence in a distinctive embodiment. This uncertainty creates the illusion of warmth and welcomenesss and is further demonstrated through the reproduction of death as an eminent figure. Further inspection allows the reader to understand death as a swift encounter. The quick imagery brought forth by words such as “snaps” and “shut” provoke a sense of startle in which the audience may dispel any idea of expectedness in death’s coming. This essential idea of apparent arrival transitions to a slower, foreseeable fate where one can imagine the enduring pain experienced “an iceberg between shoulder blades” (line 8). This shift characterizes the constant adaptation in appearance that death acquires. Moreover, the idea of warmth radiating from death’s presence reemerges with the introduction to a “cottage of darkness” (line 10), which to some may bring about a feeling of pleasantry and comfort. It is important to note that line 10 was the sole occurrence of a rhetorical question that the speaker
In poetry, death is referred as the end of literature and it is associated with feeling of sorrows. However Emily Dickinson demonstrates that death is not the end of literature or feeling of sadness but death is a new element of inspiration in poetry and is the beginning of a new chapter in our life. In the poem ‘’Because I Could Not Stop for Death’, she discusses the encounter of a women with death, who passed away centuries ago. Dickenson uses metaphors and similes to show that the process of dying can be an enjoyable moment by appreciating the good moments in life, and by respecting death rather than fearing it. Also Dickinson portrays death in a humorous way as she compares it to man seducing her to go to her death as well, to childhood games that show the innocence of this encounter (Bloom). The poem is a reflection of how unpredictable death can be. Death is a scary process in life that should not be feared because it should be celebrate as new start.
Predominantly the poem offers a sense of comfort and wisdom, against the fear and pain associated with death. Bryant shows readers not to agonize over dying, in fact, he writes, "When thoughts of the last bitter hour come like a blight over thy spirit, and sad images of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall, and breathless darkness, and the narrow house, make thee to shudder, and grow sick at heart -- go forth under the open sky, and list to Nature 's teachings." With this it eludes each person face their own death, without fright, to feel isolated and alone in death but to find peace in knowing that every person before had died and all those after will join in death (Krupat and Levine
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.
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.