Reflection: Thanatopsis

William Cullen Bryant's poem is a prime example of the types of work and poems that were written in the romanticism time period. One of the commen characteristics of the Romanticism period is the writing about nature. Everything has to do with nature. This poem is about how death and nature are related. Death comes from nature and we all die and go right back to nature. FOr instance, a lot of people are buried in the ground and then become one with nature when they are buried. This whole poem used very descriptive words about nature and revolves the whole subject around nature. To Nature's teachings, while from all around Earth and her waters, and the depths of air
Comes a still voice—Yet a few days, and thee The all-beholding sun shall see no more(Bryant 13). It talks about nature teaching you with her waters, the air, and all the other aspects of nature until the final days when the sun no longer shines any more. I think William Cullen Bryant had a point he was trying to get to his readers. I think he wrote this poem as a way to make his readers feel better about death. He wanted them to feel it was a natural thing, and not to be so afraid of it because it is inevitable. This poem's subject was a little sad, with it being all about death, but I do admire his point, because whether we like it or not, death is going to happen to us, and every single one of the people we love. NO, it sometimes will not feel fair, especially the timing if they go too soon, but it happens. We all will have to return to "nature". This is very different that what a puritan writing would of looked like. If a puritan writer would of been writing about the same thing, we would not be returning to nature, we would be returning to god. It is very interesting to look at all the time periods and see how the writers behaved. I think honestly I would agree more with the Puritan writers returning to god than the romanticism and returning to nature.


Bryant's last paragraph is very interesting, but it has a more dark tone than the rest of the poem. So live, that when thy summons comes to joinThe innumerable caravan which moves To that mysterious realm, where each shall take His chamber in the silent halls of death, Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night,Scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and soothed
By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave Like one who wraps the drapery of his couchAbout him, and lies down to pleasant dreams(Bryant 70-80). It incorporates the myteriousness and darkness that death has, but it also reminds you and the very end...that you are at peace. You are one with nature, and you can lie down to pleasant dreams. The last paragraph i think was a little more rational than the rest of the poem, because he is also talking about the darkness of the subject death, not just acting like it is all okay and we are just about nature and it is happy. The poet realizes that death is a dark thing, but it is also a very peaceful thing.

Byant, William C. "Thanatopsis." PoemHunter.com. 13 May 2001. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. .r