Death in the Poetry of William Cullen Bryant and Emily Dickinson

456 Words1 Page

The Poetry of William Cullen Bryant and Emily Dickinson: The Theme of Death

Many poems are written about death. The two poets William Cullen Bryant and
Emily Dickinson were very influential trancendental writers. Bryant writing
Thanatopsis And Emily Dickinson's "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" are basically more alike then than they are similar for the fact that there views on
Death are the same, but what happens to you after is what is disimiliar,although
Dickinsons and Bryants poems are very different as seen in specific detail. As in both poems death is present, the way the two authors express it however is a bit unsimiliar.
One of many things that is similar is the fact that both authors present there poems in first person view,but the way they describe what happens to you after death is what is very dissimilar. In the poem when she says "We passed the school where children played ,We passed the the fields of blazing grain," shows her use of Idealisation of Nature.Bryants whole poem is Idealisation of nature, by choosing but one sentence would be cutting the poem short.By both authors using the same romantic element is just another example of how they are similar. Thanatopsis and Because i could not stop for Death,are somewhat dissimilar , for instance when in Dickinsons poem when she says "We slowly drove he knew no haste," she is referring about death taking her away and she sees everything on this journey.william Cullen Bryant however sees Death a little different ,like in his poem when he says " There comes a still voice yet a few days . and thee you will see no more,"He is saying that it will be very peaceful and fast. That when you hear the voice, all is gone. They both had different romantic/trancendental connections,bryant used heavy Idealisation of Mature by saying "To him who in the love of nature holds Communion with her visible forms."Emily Dickinson used supernatural for the fact that she says " Because i could not stop for death he kindly stopped for me." Meaning I had no time for death ,"HE" being death himself stopped for me. By her saying that she is

Open Document