The Element Of Death In Thanatopsis By William Cullen Bryant

This essay attempts to study the element of death as presented in William Cullen Bryant's 'Thanatopsis'. 'Thanatopsis', originated from Greek work, means 'meditation of death'. It was written by William Cullen Bryant in 1811 and was first published in the 'North American Review' in 1817. The themes in 'Thanatopsis' centers entirely on death, however the mood is somewhat cheerful and uplifting. Bryant doesn't look at death as something to fear. He views it as a natural, and unavoidable, part of human existence. The poem focuses on the importance nature plays in the role of death. Bryant talks about how when one dies the grave becomes an endless world, how the deceased become one with the earth, the trees, and everything that is great within the earth, and how when one dies they do not die alone. He uses strong words to describe the feelings and visions one sees when they are in their last hours and even after they have passed away. The author makes death seem like something that should not be feared and should almost be looked forward to. Plato’s Apology: A Defense of Socrates insists that death is not bad. As he says, “The fear of death amounts to simply thinking one is wise when one is not”. However, it is not until page 35 when he begins his discussion of the issue in depth by saying, “And let us also reflects upon how good a reason there is to hope that death is a good thing.” When considering death, he can think of two possible ways it might be: either death is to be nonexistent, or something happens to the soul upon death and it is transformed or goes to another world. If death is to be nonexistent, Socrates thinks it would be like a long sleep without dreaming: “Now if there is, in fact, no awareness in death, but it is like sleep – the kind in which the sleeper does not even dream at all – then death would seem to be a marvelous gain”.

Socrates would like this, as he prefers not having dreams, and thinks it would seem like only a night: “because on that assumption the whole of time would seem no longer than a single night”. This is how Socrates sees the first possibility of death as being good. The scientific study of death has been in place for centuries making it one of the phenomenons that have drawn the attention of researchers. However, the attention in the study of death has been much on the fear and anxiety about death exhibited by the individual. Freud was among the first scholars that first articulated the distinction between fear and anxiety especially as it is related to death. Primarily, fear is defined as a reaction to specific stimulus and anxiety, as can be exhibited by those suffering from neurosis. Earlier studies such as the one by Drolet and Batson on death, religion as a comfort zone and fear of uncertainties; the sources of the two phenomenon were jointly treated for more comprehensive result. Among other things, they examined generally, the concept of death and anxiety, fear about death, fear of dying and other related types of fears in the same framework. Another study by Florian and Mikulincer, applied a more multidimensional framework of analyzing death anxiety involving the cultural, religious, conventional science as they are connected to fear, anxiety and doubt about death. Writing earlier, Tillich, has defined personal death anxiety (or individual peculiar anxiety towards death) as part of awareness of life finitude which trigger other reactions and concerns in individual life. Earlier studies to unravel individual interpretation of death and concern about death focused on death concern (i.e. frequently thinking about personal death). “Thanatopsis” by William Cullen Bryant invoked so many emotions from gloomy sadness, melancholy, and then finally has uplifted spirits. Death is most often depicted as such a morbid and destructive part of life on TV, new reports, and personal losses turn our personal feelings on death into a somber and depressing ones. It was refreshing to read something that depicted death in such a beautiful and peaceful way. The first stanza appears to be used as a brief summation of life and the final hours leading up to and eventual death of the human body. Bryant describes human life and nature almost as if they are intertwined in a rhythmic dance. This is a great setup for the second stanza which depicts the human body and nature becoming one. In this line he appears to explain how kind nature is to a living person during their life, “…she speaks/A various language; for his gayer hours/She has a voice of gladness, and a smile/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.” Bryant depicts nature as a female who is nurturing and cheers humans during dark times. It’s interesting how he portrays nature using personification.

This helps to show the bound between nature and mankind. Life can’t go on forever though and soon the final hours of a human’s life approaches. Personification is again used here, “And breathless darkness, and the narrow house,..”. This helps paint the picture of a person who is no longer breathing and their sight is now dark. The narrowing house as the narrowing of vision as you pass. Death has taken its toll on the body. The second stanza describes the people left behind mourning, while the body is laid into the earth. This line describes the body becoming one with the earth, “Thine individual being, shalt thou go/To mix for ever 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/Shall send his roots abroad, and pierce thy mould.” The last verse resonates the most. It was so imagery invoking as the body was becoming so entwined with nature that a tree’s roots were literally entwining themselves around the body, or “mould”, as Bryant calls the human frame. This one verse was really the most symbolic line in the poem .All is not lost though as the body’s spirit lives on in the afterlife. In the third stanza he describes the afterlife in all its beauty and glory. Here Bryant describes the other people you will spend eternity with, “With patriarchs of the infant world — with kings/The powerful of the earth — the wise, the good/Fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past”. Mingling with past kings and other great people who have entered this utopian heaven sounds like a wonderful way to spend eternity.

Then there comes the description of the landscape. It’s absolutely beautiful and in true Bryant imagery style, described in depth, as in these lines, “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”. Bryant then goes on to explain here, “Take note of thy departure? All that breathe/Will share thy destiny.” This means all men, women, and children who have ever breathed go onto this beautiful place. There are no discriminating factors. Saying people should not lose hope that they may not make it to this wonderful place after death. This is different from what most religions teach, as they say that only the most holy and good people are allowed into heaven. It doesn’t pass judgement on people or leave them in fear all their life that they might not make it to heaven. This was a beautifully romanticized view on death, giving peace to humans who typically fear it. It was eloquently crafted using such literary devices as personification to help people relate to all realms of the earth and heaven. It used lovely imagery to paint a euphoric picture of the body becoming one with the earth and beautiful details to help you picture exactly what the afterlife is like. The image takes away some of the fear associated with that “summons” (to death) that Bryant alludes the vision of death as lying down to “pleasant dreams.” The poem also awakened me somehow to the meaningfulness of dreams, where we sometimes commune with the dead.