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Recommended: The theme of death used in literature

William Cullen Bryant is one of the most influential people of his time. He was born on November 3, 1794. He is most well-known for writing his poem “Thanatopsis”, which would roughly translate from Greek to “a meditation upon death” in English. This poem is by far his most popular poem. He spent majority of his life studying law, then died as the editor of the New York Evening Post. He was extremely politically fueled and also did not agree with the commonly accepted view of heaven and religion; this idea is shown in his poem. Overall, William Cullen Bryant is the most important American romantic poet of his time.
Poets such as Bryant have forever been trying to write their thoughts and feelings down on paper. They write their words like a painter lays their brush to a canvas. They express ideas that not only exemplify the beauty of life and nature, but also the darkest side of one’s life; death. This notion of death is what most people see as a sad ending to a life filled with beauty, though William Cullen Bryant does not see death in that way. In his poem “Thanatopsis” he offers an optimistic outlook on death. He views it as nothing more than the moment you become one with nature and venture through its beauty for all eternity. It is truly a work of art. This is shown by the use of his effective writing skills he uses skills such as, alliteration, similes and personification that make the poem come alive, just as a painter strives to make his art come alive. Also, this poem is art due to the deep thinking required to grasp its concept of death, you cannot read it just once you must read in between the lines and analyze what the poet is saying.
I believe this is art because it truly brings out the emotions of the reader throug...

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...omfort and visualization throughout the poem.
Overall “Thanatopsis” is one of the great works of romantic writing in America and is a work of art. Art is supposed to bring out feeling in the person observing it. This poem could not do a better job at that. Although this poem is limited to words on paper, it expresses infinity of feelings, thoughts, and emotions. When I first read this poem I did not have a gut reaction, I just didn’t understand it. But as I dove into the poem and read deeply, and I let my mind walk freely in the deep thoughts of death, nature, and comfort I truly started to understand it. I chose this poem because it represents poetry as an art form better than any poem I have ever read. Its uses of alliteration, personification, and similes truly exemplify the writer’s thoughts and feeling so that the reader reads the poem with emotion

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