Thanatopsis by William Cullen Bryant
The poem, "Thanatopsis," written by William Cullen Bryant, is a wonderful literary
work which explores the often controversial questions of death. William Cullen Bryant
wrote Thanatopsis when he was seventeen years of age. Thanatopsis was written in blank
verse. Within his well written lines Bryant attempts to show the relationship between
death's eternal questions and the ongoing cycle of nature and life. Upon concluding the
poem many readers are able to reaffirm their faith of an afterlife, while others are left
aimlessly pondering this strange possibility.He uses strong words to describe the feelings
and visions one sees when they are in their last hours and even after they have passed
away. The author makes death seem like something that should not be feared and should
almost be looked forward to. He then goes on to show how one should really feel when
dying.
Thanatopsis tells about how when one dies the grave becomes an endless world,
how the deceased become one with the earth, the trees, and everything that is great within
the earth, and how when one dies they do not die alone. Throughout the poem Bryant
creates images which connect death and sleep. In fact, once the reader gets halfway
through the poem they discover that Bryant uses these words almost interchangeably. In
the second stanza he writes, "All that tread the globe are but a handful to the tribes that
slumber in its bosom." Instead of referring to death he uses the word "slumber." These
connections continue in a number of places. Other examples include lines 57 and 66. In
line 57 he writes, "In their last sleep the dead reign there alone," and i...
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.... He knows death is a conclusion to the material world, but in this conclusion is a type of rebirth. Bryant believes death prepares the soul for its next journey. With this belief he is put at ease, but I cannot say the same for myself. I am truly confused about the subject. It is a source of great frustration for me. I, like many people, talk about the possibility of an afterlife, but it seems rather pointless. I spend countless hours pondering a question that shall never be answered in this lifetime. In addition, I realize death, along with being the end of the earthly life, is an end to all earthly traits. The afterlife begins following death, and cannot contain earthly characteristics. Therefore, it is illogical for me to attempt the comprehension of an afterlife. Even if it exists it is still impossible for me, as a living person, to understand or fathom.
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
... seeing and feeling it’s renewed sense of spring due to all the work she has done, she was not renewed, there she lies died and reader’s find the child basking in her last act of domestication. “Look, Mommy is sleeping, said the boy. She’s tired from doing all out things again. He dawdled in a stream of the last sun for that day and watched his father roll tenderly back her eyelids, lay his ear softly to her breast, test the delicate bones of her wrist. The father put down his face into her fresh-washed hair” (Meyer 43). They both choose death for the life style that they could no longer endure. They both could not look forward to another day leading the life they did not desire and felt that they could not change. The duration of their lifestyles was so pain-staking long and routine they could only seek the option death for their ultimate change of lifestyle.
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.”
The speaker then calls upon his aged father to join these men raging against death. Only in this final stanza do we discover that the entire poem is addressed to the speaker’s father and that, despite the generalized statements about old age and the focus upon types of men, the poem is a personal lyric. The edge of death becomes a “sad height,” the summit of wisdom and experience old age attains includes the sad knowledge of life’s failure to satisfy the vision we all pursue. The depth and complexity of the speaker’s sadness is startlingly given the second line when he calls upon his father to both curse nd bless him. These opposites richly suggest several related possibilities.
The afterlife, the last frontier. There is no precise conception of what the afterlife is. Many beliefs and ideas have been set forth, such as the incredibly detailed version of Greek Mythology to the Heaven and Hell of Christianity. The afterlife is usually regarded as something spiritual, religious, otherworldly even, but David Eagleman doesn’t state it that way. Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman has an eye-catching topic. One with many possibilities that in turn can cause uncertainty. It’s not a surprise to see a person who is frightened of something they don’t know or don’t understand. Although the book focuses on what the afterlife may have waiting for us its effect resonates into the now, the time when one is alive. No matter what is on the other side, make the time one has on Earth worth whatever comes after, maybe even more. Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives brings
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
One may die with hopes of one day overcoming their fears and for once being called a very brave person. When God opens the doors to Heaven, all the fears in the body should be released and never regained. Robert Fros...
This stanza shows that the narrator is still bored with the living world even in death.
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...
One thing that we often hear is that “death is just a part of life.” So often in our day and age do we hear people utter these words. However, death is far more significant and impactful than some would allege. True death is not merely a time when we cease to exist; it is an entombment, a mindset in which we are dead to this world. Throughout our lives, it is true that we can all be dead in one way or another, but it does not have to be that way. When we have our eyes opened to what death actually is, it is far easier to grasp what the true meaning of life is, and to embrace it. Often, we will come across individuals who are enveloped in death and others who are immersed in true life. The shadow of death and entombment lies upon some, encompassing
Everyone hopes for afterlife, In one of Emily Dickinson’s poems this is a topic in “I heard a Fly buzz—when I died”, When a lady is on her deathbed hoping for “The King” or “God” to come with a gift of afterlife, when he does not show up the only one there is “The Lady” and a “Fly”. When we hope for something it could be in the smallest things, Questioning are beliefs when it comes times, and Hope is the best way through the toughest times.
Is there such a thing as free will, what is the relationship between mind and body, and the true difference between right and wrong are a few questions about human existence that have plagued philosophers and average men alike since the days of Socrates and Aristotle. While not everyone may pay these questions much attention, there is one philosophical thought that has probably crossed the mind of every human at some point in time, and that is the concept of death and what happens after. There are widespread thoughts about what happens postmortem which range from the idea of immortality during the days of the ancient Greeks to the belief in reincarnation that is associated with many Eastern religions. These beliefs, along with others similar to them, provide some with a sort of safety net because they know that their essence (soul, spirit, etc.) will continue to exist after they pass. That being said, not everyone shares these opinions and for some the idea of death can be frightening. Don DeLillo’s novel White Noise examines this fear through Jack Gladney and several other characters. While the novel does not offer any answers, it does stimulate thought regarding death in modern society and how it should be handled. Although many of the characters try to do things such as ignore or embrace their fear in order to get it off their minds, Jack cannot shake his angst, all of which mirroring the various reactions people in today’s society have regarding death.
He begins by looking at the very common views of death that are held by most people in the world, and tells us that he will talk of death as the "unequivocal and permanent end to our existence" and look directly at the nature of death itself (1). The first view that
Death and what happens after one dies has been questioned since life began. While what happens after death has key importance in most religions, what happens between life and death can sometimes play a larger role in how death is treated. Liminality, or the period of transition between life and death, influences the steps taken after a person has died. Usually, death is viewed as a journey, one which no one can know what exactly lies ahead; because of this certain rituals and customs have been created to ensure the deceased a peaceful transition from life on earth to the next stage. The religion of Hinduism, especially, stresses the importance of extensive
Specifically, the speaker, while on her deathbed, notices that “The Eyes around – had wrung them dry - / and Breaths were gathering firm” (5-6). Dickinson’s synecdoche demonstrates how, in the face of death, the speaker only observes the miniscule portions of the mourners, rather than the whole. This synecdoche illustrates how during the speaker’s death, rather than experiencing a grand death, the small details, which seem insignificant, are essentially the focus. This demonstrates how in life and in death, the details that may seem insignificant are in fact what people may remember when their time has come to an end. Additionally, while waiting in the room for the speaker’s inevitable demise, the mourners remain inaudible while anticipating “that last Onset – when the King / Be witnessed – in the Room”(7-8). During the mid-1800s, there was a common misconception among Christians that during the moment of death, God himself would appear for a grand departure and carry the deceased to heaven. Dickinson’s allusion to God or the “King” demonstrates the grandeur of death that was a common belief during this time period. Also, through oxymoron of “last Onset” meaning the final beginning, Dickinson illustrates the magnificence of death as believed by Christians in the mid-1800s. It was ordinarily believed that heaven following death was the final destination for souls where knowledge and happiness are experienced and fulfillment is ultimately reached. The extraordinarily high expectations of death that results from the Christian belief system only leads to unavoidable disappointment as the “King” is not “witnessed,” only a filthy fly accompanying a modest, uneventful