Nature and death
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."First, tone is a very important aspect of the poem "Thanatopsis." While reading the poem, the reader may feel a slight change in the tone of the poem. At first the poem seems as though it were about nature and its beauty. For example, in the poem Bryant writes "She has a voice of gladness, and a smile/And eloquence of beauty, and she glides."(4-5) Here, the tone is happy and elegant. Also, the reader is under the impression that nature is a safe and beautiful place. However, as the reader continues on, one may notice a sudden shift in tone. Bryant writes, "Into his darker musings, with a mild/And gentle sympathy, that steals away/ Their sharpness, ere he is aware."(6-8) Here, the tone shifts to dark and gloomy. Throughout the poem Bryant uses numerous words or phrases that relate to death. One very noticeable instan
The long narrow house is referring to the long, dark grave that the dead are lowered into. Now, Bryant uses the spring season to compare to a new age. The last hour refers to the only true or "natural" fact of ones life, the fact that life will sometime come to an end. However, when both aspects of the poem are looked into, the poem may also take place in the speakers mind. Also, it sets the theme for the entire poem. Shroud and pall are both word related to coffins. In lines 16 and 17 when the speaker talks about the still voice, he/she is referring to God. Bryant's "Thanatopsis" contains specific details: Go forth under the open sky, and list/ To Nature's teachings, while from all around--/ . All of the beauties and landscapes of nature are just mere decorations of the ground that the dead are lowered into. Nature is full of beauty and elegance. Bryant does an exquisite job of using symbols to compare nature and death. The speaker mentions:Rock-ribb'd and ancient as the sun,--the vales Stretching in pensive quietness between; The vernal woods--rivers that move In majesty, and the complaining brooks That make the meadows green; and pour'd round all, Old ocean's grey and melancholy waste,-- Are but the solemn decorations all Of the great tomb of man. "(68-70) The rebirth of human life compares to nature in the sense that when nature is reborn in springtime everything turns green.
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Acceptance Essays
