William Bryant's Thanatopsis

William Cullen Bryant's “Thanatopsis” is an expression of how people are one with the natural world. It explains how when people die they will become part of the earth again. To William Cullen Bryant, people are created equal to each other. “Thanatopsis” means to have a view or contemplation of death. He also believes somehow nature is an antidote to the sorrow and despair that death brings. Studies have shown how nature is soothing to the soul of the depressed and obstructed. Nature can somehow make pain less painful. Nature to some people can be an escape. It's like seeing a world outside of our own misery. It brings peace to those who are disturbed. Especially disturbed by the thoughts of death or the action of death its self. The poem “Thanatopsis” has many different
In this poem there is not a direct reference to any kind of religion but there is an underlying question of what happens to you after you die. William does not specifically talk about this in his poem but, he does give his readers questionable thoughts to which their own religion will reflect on what they believe happens after they have passed. William Bryant's poetic theory was founded upon romantic principles of emotional expression, naturalness, simplicity, spontaneity, irregularity, and freedom. Which can help explain his poem “Thanatopsis”. “Thanatopsis” was first seen in "North American Review" where Bryant's early poetry was published. The naturalness in death, the emotional expression by the people affected by death, and the freedom of negativity are just some of the examples of his poetic theory which he intertwines in this poem. His poetic theory set him squarely in the Romantic Movement which he anticipates in America by over ten