William Cullen Bryant (1794 – 1878)

Thanatopsis

I. Facts about Thanatopsis

I.A. When it was published?Bryant’s famous poem Thanatopsis was composed when he was eighteen. His father, having

discovered it, recopied the poem and submitted it to The North American Review, where it

was published in September 1817. (Lauter, P.)1

I.B. The title

The title “thanatopsis” means “a meditation upon death”. It is a combination of the Greek

word “Thanatos” – the personification of death in Greek Mythology, and the Greek suffix

“opsis” – sight or appearance. (Wikipedia®)2

The title presents the poem as a way of seeing death. The question of the death is rather

controversial. Readers can either reassure that their faith of the life after the life is true, or on

the other hand, some of the readers can be confused because of this strange possibility.

I.C. Reactions to the Thanatopsis

He was influenced by Romantic poets of Europe, so when the Thanatopsis was published in

North American Review some writers and poets doubted whether it was the product of an

American.

Richard Henry Dana remarked:

´…no one on this side of the Atlantic is capable of writing such verses.´3

Anyway this poem is really ´marvelous´:

Marvelous indeed it was that one so young could rise to such lofty thought and find such

impressive phraseology for its expression; and no less wonderful that this youth, roaming the

1 Lauter, P. The heath anthology of american literature, fifth edition – William Cullen Bryant, <http://college.hmco.com/english/lauter/heath/4e/students/author_pages/early_nineteenth/bryant_wi.html> (April, 2006)2 Wikipedia®, Thanatopsis, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanatopsis> (April, 2006)3 Lauter, P. The heath anthology of american literature, fifth edition – William Cullen Bryant, <http://college.hmco.com/english/lauter/heath/4e/students/author_pages/early_nineteenth/bryant_wi.html> (April, 2006)

woods alone, should command such skill in the use of blank verse, the resonant voice of which

has eluded many a clever versifier. (Simonds, E. PhD)4

I.C. Blank verse

As it was sad Bryant used the blank verse in his Thanatopsis.

Blank verse is written in unrhymed (“blank”) lines of iambic pentamer. Iamb = unstressed +

stressed syllable, pentameter = five feet in a line. (Pokrivčák, A. & Pokrivčáková, S. 2004)5

To-him | who-in | the-love | of-na | ture-holds (line 1)

II. My interpretation

Throughout the all poem we can see the relationship between death and life and the eternal

cycle of nature.

To him who in the love of nature holds

Communion with her visible forms, she speaks

A various language; for his gayer hours (lines 1-3)

Man is in the communion with the nature and loves her, and SHE speaks to him. She can

make him smile and happy, but he is a bit afraid of her, because he knows that death is a part

of her. Nature tells him that it is not necessary to be afraid.

…When thoughts

Of the last bitter hour come…

… Go forth, under the open sky, and list

To Nature’s teachings, …(lines 8-15)

When the thoughts of the death appear in you mind, don’t be afraid! ´Go forth´(line 14), ´…-

Take the wings of morning,…´(lines 50-51)

4 Simonds, E. PhD, Chapter III – The beginning of the nineteenth century - IV. William Cullen Bryant: 1794-1878 – Thanatopsis, <http://www.bootlegbooks.com/Reference/Simonds/SHAL/p4-chap3.html> (April, 2006)5 Pokrivčák, A. & Pokrivčáková, S. (2004), Focus on literature – introduction to literary study, Nitra: UKF

The nature nourishes your during your life ´…Earth, that nourished thee,…´ (line 22)

but after your death ´And, lost each human trace,…´(line 24)

you will become a part of the nature ´To mix forever with the elements,´(line 26)

and your body will nourish the nature. ´…The oak shall send his hoots abroad, and pierce thy

mold.´(lines 29-30)

The nature seems to be “rude” (rude swain, line 28) when she uses your body as a source of

the energy for her and for the new life.

…- yet the dead are there

And millions in those solitudes, since first

The flight of years began, have laid them down (lines 54-56)

Death is something natural and irreversible. We have to die form the time of the beginning of

the world.

Your soul will enter the world where the dead and Death reign. ´In their last sleep – the dead

reign there alone.´ (line 57)

It is a place where the spirits of your ancestors and patriarchs are. ´… Thou shalt lie down

with patriarch of the infant world…´(lines 33-34)

It is very old world, which exists along with our real world and very beautiful one.

… The hills

Rock-ribbed and ancient as the sun – the vales

Stretching in pensive quietness between,

The venerable woods – rivers that move

In Majesty, and the complaining brooks

That make the meadows green; and, poured round all,

Old ocean’s gray and melancholy waste, -- (lines 37 – 43)

The lives of other people will continue after your death ´…All that breathe will share thy

destiny. The gay will laugh when thou art gone, …´(lines 61-62)

but they know that their lives will come to the end and enter the world of the Death too. ´…yet

all these shall leave, …, and shall come and make their bed with thee…´(lines 64 – 66)

You will be waiting for them in that world.

Bryant speaks about the ´long train´(line 66), which means that life flows. He speaks about

the cycle of the life: spring - ´speechless babe´(line70), ´youth´(line 68), fall - ´gray-headed

man´(line70), and the winter – the death.

´So live…´(line 73), live your life, but be prepared to join that world without fear. Live your

life like there will be no tomorrow. When that day comes you will ´approach thy grave

´(line79) like someone who ´lies down to pleasant dreams´(line 81). And you can also say: “I

go in peace because I have done everything what I wanted.”

II. A. Romanticism and Transcendentalism in Thanatopsis

As it was mentioned above, Bryant was influenced by Romantic poets of Europe.

We can find lots of romantic symbols in the Thanatopsis, and long descriptions of the nature

and her beauty – lines 37-43.

She has a voice of gladness, and a smile

And eloquence of beauty` and she glides (lines 4-5)

We can see also the connection to a religion - the faith of the life after the life.

The recurring theme of death seems to be quite constant throughout the genre of

Romanticism. Bryant attempts to make death a comfortable feeling, referring to the word

couch (line 80) as something you can simply curl up and feel good in. (www.eliteskills.com)6

But if we look deeper into the meaning of the poem, we can see also the transcendental ideas

To him who in the love of nature holds

Communion with her visible forms, she speaks

A various language; for his gayer hours (lines 1-3)

Man is in the communion with the nature and loves her. Then she speaks to him. The

conclusion is that man is a God via the relationship with nature and his soul, which are

created by God. Now we know the answer to the question how the author knows all the

details about the world, where your soul will go after your death. He is God.

II. A. 1.Some symbols

Sun (lines 18, 38) = symbol of life; life after the death

River (line 48) – water flows in a river, which evokes the cycle of a life and death

Green color, green meadows (line 42) = hope

Ocean (line 43) = eternity

Shining heaven (lines 46-47) = hope, something positive

Rude swain (line 28) = nature

Oak (line 39) = nature

Shroud and pall (line 11) = death , …

Resources

eliteskills – unknown guest, Thanatopsis, < http://www.eliteskills.com/c/1390> (April, 2006)

6 eliteskills – unknown guest, Thanatopsis, < http://www.eliteskills.com/c/1390> (April, 2006)

Lauter, P. The heath anthology of american literature, fifth edition – William Cullen Bryant,

<http://college.hmco.com/english/lauter/heath/4e/students/author_pages/

early_nineteenth/bryant_wi.html> (April, 2006)

Pokrivčák, A. & Pokrivčáková, S. (2004), Focus on literature – introduction to literary study,

Nitra: UKF

Simonds, E. PhD, Chapter III – The beginning of the nineteenth century - IV. William Cullen

Bryant: 1794-1878 – Thanatopsis,

<http://www.bootlegbooks.com/Reference/Simonds/SHAL/p4-chap3.html>

(April, 2006)

Wikipedia®, Thanatopsis, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanatopsis> (April, 2006)

Attachment

William Cullen Bryant – Thanatopsis

1. To him who in the love of nature holds2. Communion with her visible forms, she speaks3. A various language; for his gayer hours4. She has a voice of gladness, and a smile5. And eloquence of beauty; and she glides6. Into his darker musings, with a mild7. And healing sympathy that steals away8. Their sharpness ere he is aware. When thoughts9. Of the last bitter hour come like a blight10. Over thy spirit, and sad images11. Of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall,12. And breathless darkness, and the narrow house,13. Make thee to shudder, and grow sick at heart;--14. Go forth, under the open sky, and list15. To Nature's teachings, while from all around—16. Earth and her waters, and the depths of air—17. Comes a still voice. Yet a few days, and thee18. The all-beholding sun shall see no more19. In all his course; nor yet in the cold ground,20. Where thy pale form was laid, with many tears,21. Nor in the embrace of ocean, shall exist22. Thy image. Earth, that nourished thee, shall claim23. Thy growth, to be resolved to earth again,24. And, lost each human trace, surrendering up25. Thine individual being, shalt thou go 26. To mix forever with the elements,27. To be a brother to the insensible rock28. And to the sluggish clod, which the rude swain29. Turns with his share, and treads upon. The oak30. Shall send his roots abroad, and pierce thy mold.

31. Yet not to thine eternal resting-place32. Shalt thou retire alone, nor couldst thou wish33. Couch more magnificent. Thou shalt lie down34. With patriarchs of the infant world -- with kings,35. The powerful of the earth -- the wise, the good,36. Fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past,37. All in one mighty sepulchre. The hills38. Rock-ribbed and ancient as the sun, -- the vales39. Stretching in pensive quietness between;40. The venerable woods -- rivers that move41. In majesty, and the complaining brooks42. That make the meadows green; and, poured round all,43. Old Ocean's gray and melancholy waste,--44. Are but the solemn decorations all

45. Of the great tomb of man. The golden sun,46. The planets, all the infinite host of heaven,47. Are shining on the sad abodes of death48. Through the still lapse of ages. All that tread49. The globe are but a handful to the tribes50. That slumber in its bosom. -- Take the wings51. Of morning, pierce the Barcan wilderness,52. Or lose thyself in the continuous woods53. Where rolls the Oregon, and hears no sound,54. Save his own dashings -- yet the dead are there55. And millions in those solitudes, since first56. The flight of years began, have laid them down57. In their last sleep -- the dead reign there alone.

58. So shalt thou rest -- and what if thou withdraw59. In silence from the living, and no friend60. Take note of thy departure? All that breathe61. Will share thy destiny. The gay will laugh62. When thou art gone, the solemn brood of care63. Plod on, and each one as before will chase64. His favorite phantom; yet all these shall leave65. Their mirth and their employments, and shall come66. And make their bed with thee. As the long train67. Of ages glides away, the sons of men—68. The youth in life's fresh spring, and he who goes69. In the full strength of years, matron and maid,70. The speechless babe, and the gray-headed man—71. Shall one by one be gathered to thy side,72. By those, who in their turn, shall follow them.

73. So live, that when thy summons comes to join74. The innumerable caravan, which moves75. To that mysterious realm, where each shall take76. His chamber in the silent halls of death,77. Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night,78. Scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and soothed79. By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave80. Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch81. About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.