Thanatopsis My View On Life And Death

A detailed Summary of Thanatopsis My View On Life And Death

- Clear explanation of my view of life and death

Thanatopsis, a poem by William Cullen Bryant, tells 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.

"When thoughts of the last bitter hour come like a blight 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 to Nature's teachings, while from all around- Earth and her waters, and the depths of air- comes a still voice"(Bryant 153). I think that Bryant is taking what can be considered the stereotype of what death and dying feels like and putting it in some very descriptive and strong words. He

In saying this, the author is trying to say that when one has fully embraced death, instead of staying in a small grave in the ground, the deceased will become one with the earth. Even in showing how death is wonderful he uses such powerful, descriptive words. Becoming a part of the earth and befriending all the elements sounds like a dream come true the way he puts it. It almost seems as if this is how Bryant portrays heaven or the after life. This is another way of showing how death should be a pleasant, soothing experience. In my opinion, if how he describes this part of dying is really how it is, than I would totally back him up on his point that death should be a pleasant experience. I am undecided weather I should fear death or if I should look forward to it.

In reading the poem and writing this response I have thought a lot about wether or not dying should be something to look forward to or to dread. When reading Bryant's strong descriptive words about how great dying actually is I have been swayed to think that I should look forward to it. The way the author describes it so deeply it has made me think that he has actually died and been there, with the elements and with mother earth. I wonder how he could explain such a t

Some common words found in the essay are:
Cullen Bryant, Focus Correction, descriptive words, Death Thanatopsis, life death, nor couldst thou, view life death, thou wish couch, couldst thou wish, wish couch magnificent, nor couldst, reading poem, deceased earth, couldst thou, wish couch, strong words, death pleasant, thou wish,

Approximate Word count = 834
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

join now Save Paper

Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

Newest Essays

Testimonials

"Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
Jack M.
"With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
Brian P.
"I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
Sara J.
"I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
Rachel W.
"I love this site!!!"
Marie N.

Thanatopsis My View On Life And Death

Related Essays

Saved Paper

Newest Essays

Testimonials