Peaceful Death: Thanatopsis By William Cullen Bryant

711 Words3 Pages
Lindsey Pope C.Smith- Instructor English 251 Essay II Outline Peaceful Death Many people who read “Thanatopsis” can interpret that it is a poem about death from the beginning down to the very last sentence. William Cullen Bryant’s poem discusses how people from across time have dealt with the feeling of death. Bryant also discusses how he views death from many different angles and the many different methods to help someone feel better when it comes to dealing with death. He also discusses how death is related to nature, history and spirituality, but the main point of his poem is to remind the reader that everyone will eventually die, but no one will be alone Bryant emphasizes this point by saying, “the powerful of the earth-the wise, the good, fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past all in one mighty sepulchre” (Bryant 494). It does not matter if someone was good or bad because everyone will eventually end…show more content…
Bryant was one of those people who understood death and was able to write a poem to help comfort others, as well as help them understand. For many people death is a very scary subject to discuss or even think about. However when someone reads a poem such as “thanatopsis”, it helps to inform them that there is nothing to be afraid of, although many people may not know when or where death will capture them, they will find comfort in the afterlife. Bryant also uses personification in his poem by turning nature into a woman to help comfort people. When someone generally thinks about women, they think of them as kind and gentle, someone to turn to when in need of comfort. By using this reference, Bryant also tries to tell his readers that when it comes to dealing with death, whether it is them or someone close to them, they should turn to nature for comfort because nature will be sensitive when it comes to someone’s needs and
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    The poem, “Thanatopsis”, written by William Cullen Bryant explores the controversial question of death. Although “Thanatopsis” comes from the Greek and means “a view of death” it can also be referred as the observation of nature. Within the lines Bryant compares the inevitable question of death with the unending cycle of life. Bryant uses imagery, personification, and similes to convey the message that people shouldn’t be afraid of death. Throughout the poem Bryant creates images of death and sleep

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