“THANATOPSIS ” William Cullen Bryant

“THANATOPSIS ” William Cullen Bryant

WHAT DOES THANATOPSIS MEAN? Thanatopsis is a word Bryant coined by joining two Greek words, thanatos, “death,” and opsis, “sight.” The new word is defined by the poem: a way of looking at and thinking about death.

TEXT ANALYSIS: BLANK VERSE William Cullen Bryant wrote “Thanatopsis” in a verse form known as blank verse. Blank verse is unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter.

TEXT ANALYSIS: BLANK VERSE In this meter, each line has five iambic feet, a pattern consisting of an unstressed syllable (u ) followed by a stressed syllable ( ‘ ). Read the following lines from “Thanatopsis” aloud to hear the rhythm: u ‘ u ‘ u ‘ u ‘ u ‘ To him who in the love of Nature holds u ‘ u ‘ u ‘ u ‘ u ‘ Communion with her visible forms, she speaks

TEXT ANALYSIS: BLANK VERSE u ‘ u ‘ u ‘ u ‘ u ‘ To him who in the love of Nature holds u ‘ u ‘ u ‘ u ‘ u ‘ Communion with her visible forms, she speaks Notice that the lines do not have a singsong. It imitates the natural rhythms of conversation. Bryant also achieves this effect through the use of enjambment, which means that one line ends without a pause and continues into the next line. As you read “Thanatopsis,” read it WITHOUT pausing after each line. Lightly pause for commas and stop at periods. Notice how the poem’s rhythm imitates natural speech.

SUMMARY OF “THANATOPSIS” “Thanatopsis” is a poetic reflection on death. The poem begins with a statement of the consolation and “healing sympathy” that gentle and caring and beautiful Nature provides. The poet then suggests how to accept the mortality that all humans share and to face death without fear, “sustained and soothed by unfaltering trust . . . like one who . . . lies down to pleasant dreams.”

“THANATOPSIS” Lines 1-8 To him who in the love of Nature holds Communion with her visible forms, she speaks A various language; for his gayer hours She has a voice of gladness, and a smile 5 And eloquence of beauty, and she glides Into his darker musings, with a mild And healing sympathy, that steals away Their sharpness, ere he is aware. When thoughts

Lines 1-8 To him who in the love of Nature holds Communion with her visible forms, she speaks A various language; for his gayer hours She has a voice of gladness, and a smile 5 And eloquence of beauty, and she glides Into his darker musings, with a mild And healing sympathy, that steals away Their sharpness, ere he is aware. When thoughts Lines 1-8 Here the speaker is introducing us to a certain kind of guy who loves nature. This guy has an almost holy relationship with nature. He "holds communion" (like you would do in a church) with things like rocks and trees and rivers (those are examples of "visible forms" of nature). In these moments of communion nature actually "speaks" to this guy. Nature is the "she" mentioned at the end of the line. Nature talks to her lover in different ways, depending on the way he’s feeling. When he is feeling happy (in "his gayer hours") Nature smiles, and speaks to him happily ("with a voice of gladness"). In these moments, she has the "eloquence" (smooth and lovely speech) "of beauty" (line 5). Sometimes the nature lover is feeling mopey and is brooding over depressing thoughts. Then Nature "glides" in and makes him feel better. In these moments, Nature treats him with gentle sympathy, which heals him. She takes away the pain ("sharpness") of his thoughts before he even realizes it.

10. REREAD LINES 1–8 ALOUD. IDENTIFY THE PLACES WHERE A PHRASE BEGINS AT THE END OF A LINE AND CONTINUES ON THE NEXT LINE. HOW DOES THIS ENJAMBMENT AFFECT THE FLOW OF THE LINES? Enjambment occurs in lines 1–2 (“holds / communion”), 2–3 (“speaks / A various language”), 3–4 (“for his gayer hours / She has”), 4–5 (“a smile / And eloquence”), 5–6 (“glides / Into”), 6–7 (“a mild / And healing sympathy”), and 7–8 (“steals away / Their sharpness”). This enjambment makes the lines flow naturally, echoing the rhythms of conversation.

“THANATOPSIS” Lines 8-17 Their sharpness, ere he is aware. When thoughts Of the last bitter hour come like a blight 10 Over thy spirit, and sad images Of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall, And breathless darkness, and the narrow house, Make thee to shudder, and grow sick at heart;— Go forth, under the open sky, and list 15 To Nature’s teachings, while from all around— Earth and her waters, and the depths of air— Comes a still voice.—

Lines 8-17 Their sharpness, ere he is aware. When thoughts Of the last bitter hour come like a blight 10 Over thy spirit, and sad images Of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall, And breathless darkness, and the narrow house, Make thee to shudder, and grow sick at heart;— Go forth, under the open sky, and list 15 To Nature’s teachings, while from all around— Earth and her waters, and the depths of air— Comes a still voice.— Lines 8-17 He’s really worried about death . These thoughts about death come like a plague or disease (a "blight") on his spirit. The speaker of the poem isn’t just talking about a random lover of nature now (the "him" from line 1). All of a sudden, he’s talking about YOU. He talks about "thy" (your) spirit. The poem has switched from thinking about nature to giving YOU advice. Here are some strong, scary images of death: Death doesn’t just hurt, it hurts in a sharp, severe, serious way. A "shroud" is the cloth you use to wrap up a dead body. "Pall" is a spooky death word. It is a coffin. (like when people talk about "pallbearers" at a funeral). Here we get some more death imagery, only this time even scarier: he wants us to imagine the "breathless darkness" of the grave and the "narrow house" of the coffin. Feeling claustrophobic? Suddenly, we’re set free. The speaker tells us to go outside, "under the open sky." That’s a big relief, given that just two lines ago, we were trapped in a grave underground (line 12). Suddenly we’re back with "Nature" and we’re being told to "list" (a fancy poetic way of saying listen) to her "teachings." Those teachings are all around us in the great outdoors. The "voice" of Nature comes from the "Earth," the "waters," and the "air." The poem calls Nature's voice a "still" voice. That means, calm and quiet, and it gives this line a feeling of peace and comfort.

Lines 17-30 Yet a few days, and thee The all-beholding sun shall see no more In all his course; nor yet in the cold ground, 20 Where thy pale form was laid, with many tears, Nor in the embrace of ocean, shall exist Thy image. Earth, that nourished thee, shall claim Thy growth, to be resolved to earth again, And, lost each human trace, surrendering up 25 Thine individual being, shalt thou go To mix forever with the elements, To be a brother to the insensible rock And to the sluggish clod, which the rude swain Turns with his share, and treads upon. The oak 30 Shall send his roots abroad, and pierce thy mold.

Lines 17-30 Lines 17-30 Yet a few days, and thee The all-beholding sun shall see no more In all his course; nor yet in the cold ground, 20 Where thy pale form was laid, with many tears, Nor in the embrace of ocean, shall exist Thy image. Earth, that nourished thee, shall claim Thy growth, to be resolved to earth again, And, lost each human trace, surrendering up 25 Thine individual being, shalt thou go To mix forever with the elements, To be a brother to the insensible rock And to the sluggish clod, which the rude swain Turns with his share, and treads upon. The oak Peace and comfort? Or maybe not. What's up with the "Yet a few days" bit? At the end of line 16, there’s another shift. Apparently something is going to happen in a few days, perhaps having to do with death. The speaker tries to make it sound pretty, but really he's telling us we're going to die soon. Even the sun, which sees everything won’t be able to see us any more. The speaker tells us all the places we won’t be after we die: on land, where the sun runs "all his course" (that’s the path the sun follows over a day). We also won’t be in the "cold ground," where our crying relatives bury our corpse during our funeral. We won’t be in the "embrace of the ocean" either. No land or sea burial? This poem’s tone is very somber right now. Does hope lie ahead? Where does our "image" go when we die, if it isn’t sinking in the sea or being buried in the ground? What? t goes back to the Earth. It was "nourishment" from the Earth that allowed our body to grow, and now our body will be turned ("resolved") back into earth again. -- "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.“ When we die, we lose what made us human . We give up our "individual being." He tells us our bodies will "mix with the elements." We’ll basically lose senses: feeling, sight, hearing, leaving us no different from rocks. He drives the point with the words: "sluggish clod." He really works this image of our bodies turning into dirt. He talks about how a country boy digs up that clod of dirt with his plow and walks all over it. Our dead bodies will be food for oak trees, as they send their roots out through the earth. Those roots will pierce our bodies.

11. WHAT IS THE CENTRAL IDEA OF THE POEM’S FIRST SECTION, LINES 1–30? The central idea of the poem’s first section is that all people die and their remains return to earth to become part of the whole of nature.

Lines 31-57 Yet not to thine eternal resting place Shalt thou retire alone, nor couldst thou wish Couch more magnificent. Thou shalt lie down With patriarchs of the infant world—with kings, 35 The powerful of the earth—the wise, the good, Fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past, All in one mighty sepulcher. The hills Rock-ribbed and ancient as the sun,—the vales Stretching in pensive quietness between; 40 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,— Are but the solemn decorations all

Lines 31-57 Lines 31- 57 Yet not to thine eternal resting place Shalt thou retire alone, nor couldst thou wish Couch more magnificent. Thou shalt lie down With patriarchs of the infant world—with kings, 35 The powerful of the earth—the wise, the good, Fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past, All in one mighty sepulcher. The hills Rock-ribbed and ancient as the sun,—the vales Stretching in pensive quietness between; 40 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,— Are but the solemn decorations all The poem takes a turn. It’s sad and scary about dying so far. Is the idea of your body turning into oak tree comforting? Maybe it's better than that claustrophobic coffin! We get a big "Yet." Even though it’s not good to die, the speaker wants us to know that we won’t go there ("retire") alone. We’re headed for a "magnificent" and comfy resting place, like a "couch.“ What type of figurative language is this? HYPERBOLE – An exaggeration! We’ll be with important people: "patriarchs" (fathers, heads of families, male leaders) from long ago. Kings and other "powerful," "wise" and "good" people will be there. Beautiful people ("fair forms") and old ("hoary") prophets ("seers"). We will all be in one giant tomb ("sepulcher") - the earth. The speaker describes earth: the hills ("rock-ribbed and ancient as the sun“), the quiet, thoughtful ("pensive") valleys in a way to make the imaginary landscape feel alive. “Venerable" means something old and deserving of respect - the forests. He describes majestic rivers, and their little cousins, "the complaining brooks.“ He takes us to some pretty meadows, which the brooks have watered and turned green. Finally, we arrive at the "gray and melancholy waste" of the "Old Ocean," which surrounds everything else. Notice Bryant’s serious tone how he spends times telling us how old (or "ancient" or "hoary" or "venerable") everything in the world is. And "melancholy waste" echoes the sadness of the first stanza. Nature – hills, valleys, forests, streams, the ocean – are compared to "decorations" on a "tomb." The hills and valleys and rivers are ways to spruce up the giant grave that all humans will share, somewhat "solemn decorations.“

45 Of the great tomb of man. The golden sun, The planets, all the infinite host of heaven, Are shining on the sad abodes of death, Through the still lapse of ages. All that tread The globe are but a handful to the tribes 50 That slumber in its bosom.—Take the wings Of morning, pierce the Barcan wilderness, Or lose thyself in the continuous woods Where rolls the Oregon, and hears no sound, Save his own dashings—yet the dead are there: 55 And millions in those solitudes, since first The flight of years began, have laid them down In their last sleep—the dead reign there alone.

Lines 31-57 (Cont) 45 Of the great tomb of man. The golden sun, The planets, all the infinite host of heaven, Are shining on the sad abodes of death, Through the still lapse of ages. All that tread The globe are but a handful to the tribes 50 That slumber in its bosom.—Take the wings Of morning, pierce the Barcan wilderness, Or lose thyself in the continuous woods Where rolls the Oregon, and hears no sound, Save his own dashings—yet the dead are there: 55 And millions in those solitudes, since first The flight of years began, have laid them down In their last sleep—the dead reign there alone. Lines 31-57 (Cont) Even the sun reminds him that death is unavoidable. The sun keeps shining and people keep dying forever and ever. This process keeps going "through the still lapse of the ages." He keeps that same calming effect with words like "still," and the passage ("lapse") of time continues no matter what we do. Notice throughout - the metaphor - the "earth as a big tomb" He says that all the people who are now alive are just a small amount of people compared to the dead people buried in the ground. TRANSCENDING HERE: Bryant imagines us flying off to the deserts of North Africa ("the Barcan wilderness"). He’s transporting us suddenly to far away lands, and calling up im images of strange, exotic landscapes. Then off in the other direction, across the continent of North America, to the western coast. In Bryant’s day, people didn't associate the West Coast with cities like LA, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. It was still a serious wilderness of endless trees ("continuous woods"). In its way, the American West in the early 19th century was as untamed as the African desert. He then puts us on the shores of "the Oregon,“ an old name for the Columbia River where he asks us to imagine that the wilderness is so silent that there’s no sound except the noise of the river. Even in these far off places, away from civilization, there are dead people in the ground - the one reality you can’t escape: death.

12. IDENTIFY THE MOOD IN LINES 31–45. HOW DOES IT CONTRAST WITH THE MOOD IN THE FIRST SECTION? The mood in these lines is hopeful and joyous, in contrast with the gloomier mood of the first section.

Lines 58-72 So shalt thou rest, and what if thou withdraw In silence from the living, and no friend 60 Take note of thy departure? All that breathe Will share thy destiny. The gay will laugh When thou art gone, the solemn brood of care Plod on, and each one as before will chase His favorite phantom; yet all these shall leave 65 Their mirth and their employments, and shall come And make their bed with thee. As the long train Of ages glides away, the sons of men, The youth in life’s fresh spring, and he who goes In the full strength of years, matron and maid, 70 The speechless babe, and the gray-headed man— Shall one by one be gathered to thy side, By those, who in their turn shall follow them.

Lines 58-72 So shalt thou rest, and what if thou withdraw In silence from the living, and no friend 60 Take note of thy departure? All that breathe Will share thy destiny. The gay will laugh When thou art gone, the solemn brood of care Plod on, and each one as before will chase His favorite phantom; yet all these shall leave 65 Their mirth and their employments, and shall come And make their bed with thee. As the long train Of ages glides away, the sons of men, The youth in life’s fresh spring, and he who goes In the full strength of years, matron and maid, 70 The speechless babe, and the gray-headed man— Shall one by one be gathered to thy side, By those, who in their turn shall follow them. Lines 58-72 The whole point of this poem is that this is going to happen to you. You’re going to "rest" like all those other people. And he asks what if you die and none of your friends notice. The speaker wants you to think about death in a calm, relaxed way, to see how it fits in with the natural order of the world. Everyone alive ("all that breathe") is going to die. All human beings are headed for the same place. In a way, it’s obvious, but this poem forces us to think about it really carefully. After we are gone, life will go on. Happy people will keep on laughing. Unhappy people will continue to be weighed down by their worry. Eventually, all of those people you left behind when you died are coming to "make their bed" next to you. He takes one last survey of the history of humanity ("the long train / of ages"). Just as that history goes away, so too does the "sons of men" pass away. Once more: everyone dies. Young people eventually die. People in their prime ("full strength") of life will die too. The old woman ("matron") will die, but so will the young woman ("maid"). The same goes for babies who are too young to talk and old men with grey hair. Death is the great equalizer. Doesn’t matter who or when or what you are – you will die. All the people listed in lines 68-70 are going to come and lie down next to you in the earth. They will be buried in the grave by people who will then eventually die too. It’s an endless chain, all of us following each other into the grave, whether we like it or not.

Lines 73- 81 So live, that when thy summons comes to join The innumerable caravan, which moves 75 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, 80 Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.

Lines 73-81 So live, that when thy summons comes to join The innumerable caravan, which moves 75 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, 80 Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams. Lines 73-81 Bryant suddenly switches the mood up a little. The speaker says: "So live." Enjoy the time you have. Sooner or later you will hear the call ("the summons") of death. You will join the endless train of people leaving this life. We’re still talking about death, but there’s some hope, a reminder of the importance of life. We’re all headed for what our speaker calls "that mysterious realm." We’re all going to get a room ("chamber") in the quiet "halls of death." We shouldn’t go as if we were being forced, like slaves in darkness. Instead of acting like we are being whipped ("scourged") into some underground prison, we should trust that what is happening to us is good. We should be comforted and soothed by our belief in the comfort and rightness of death. Notice that he doesn’t say exactly what we should be trusting in. There’s no clear religious message here, just some general comfort. He ends the poem with a beautiful image. After all that grim contemplation of death, the speaker closes things on a soothing, comforting note. He says that we should get ready to die like someone wrapping a blanket around himself and getting ready for a happy, dream-filled sleep. HOW COZY.

SUMMARY OF THIS SECTION: Live fully while you can, but when the time comes for you to join all those who have died before you, you can meet death serenely.

RECALL 13. ACCORDING TO THE SPEAKER, HOW DOES NATURE HELP PEOPLE COPE DURING TIMES OF SADNESS? Nature soothes and comforts people during times of sadness.

RECALL 14. ACCORDING TO LINES 22–30, WHAT HAPPENS TO PEOPLE WHEN THEY DIE? When people die, their bodies mix with the earth’s elements.

CLARIFY 15. WHY, ACCORDING TO THE SPEAKER, SHOULD PEOPLE GREET DEATH WITHOUT FEAR? People need not fear death because they will not be alone; rather, they will be joining all those who have died before.

ANALYZE TITLE 16. THE TITLE OF THE POEM COMBINES THE GREEK WORDS THANATOS (“DEATH”) AND OPSIS (“A VISION”). CITE SPECIFIC DETAILS FROM THE POEM TO EXPLAIN THE VISION OF DEATH PRESENTED IN “THANATOPSIS.” Death is viewed as a natural part of life (lines 22–30). It is not frightening or lonely (lines 31–37; 66–72), but rather welcoming and peaceful (lines 79–81).

UNDERSTAND STRUCTURE 17. IDENTIFY THE CENTRAL IDEA IN EACH SECTION, AND DRAW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT HOW THE POEM’S STRUCTURE HELPS DEVELOP AN OVERALL MESSAGE. Central idea— section 1: Death comes to everyone; section 2: When you die, you won’t be alone; section 3: Live fully so you can meet death serenely. The three-part structure helps develop the message that death should not be feared but accepted as natural and inevitable.

DRAW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT TONE 18. A WRITER ESTABLISHES HIS OR HER TONE, OR ATTITUDE TOWARD A SUBJECT, THROUGH A VARIETY OF LANGUAGE CHOICES. USE A CHART TO JOT DOWN IMPORTANT EXAMPLES OF BRYANT’S WORD CHOICES, DETAILS, AND DIRECT STATEMENTS. THEN DRAW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE POEM’S TONE. “Earth, that nourished thee, shall claim / Thy growth” (lines 22–23)—thoughtful; “nor couldst thou wish / Couch more magnificent” (lines 32–33)—comforting; “So live . . . pleasant dreams” (lines 73–81) — encouraging. Tone: thoughtful, soothing, formal, gentle

EVALUATE BLANK VERSE 19. HOW WOULD THE IMPACT OF BRYANT’S MESSAGE DIFFER IF HE HAD USED A STRICT METER AND REGULAR PATTERN OF RHYME IN HIS POEM? EVALUATE WHETHER HIS USE OF BLANK VERSE IS AN EFFECTIVE OR PLEASING WAY TO EXPRESS HIS IDEAS. GIVE REASONS FOR YOUR OPINION. You may note that blank verse is effective because it conveys the poem’s message in a more natural manner that is also formal.

RECOGNIZE CHARACTERISTICS OF ROMANTICISM 20. HOW DOES “THANATOPSIS” REFLECT ROMANTIC NOTIONS OF NATURE AND DEMOCRATIC VALUES? Images of nature serve to inspire and comfort; all people are united in death, regardless of station or status.

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES 21. BRYANT WROTE “THANATOPSIS” WHEN HE WAS A VERY YOUNG MAN. HE WAS ALSO GREATLY INFLUENCED BY THE ENGLISH ROMANTIC POETS. GIVEN WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THE PURITANS AND THE ROMANTIC POETS, HOW DO YOU THINK THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE REACTED TO THE POEM? BRYANT AT AGE 70 A PURITAN AN ENGLISH ROMANTIC POET Bryant at age 70: might have viewed death more fearfully and less optimistically; a Puritan: would likely be offended by the lack of reference to God or heaven; an English romantic poet: probably would find the poem’s view of nature inspirational.