This is an online journal for Mr. Lucero's English classes. Students should leave their responses to weekly prompts as comments. Their responses will be graded twice a month.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
English III "Thanatopsis" Journal
What is the main theme/philosophy surrounding "Thanatopsis" and what characteristics make it Romantic? Do you think his youth plays a part in how he views mortality? How might he have written it 20-50 years later?
The main theme/philosophy surrounding "Thanatopsis" is that death is omnipresent, and is a beginning rather than an ending. Its a transformation from a flesh-filled life as human, into an herb, plant or some other biotic part of the Earth. It's something one should welcome rather than be afraid of because it reunites you with the nature that you have been born from, yet in a closer way. some characteristics that make this piece of literature Romantic would be the in-depth description/imagery of nature, pertaining to youthful innocence, looking to the past for wisdom, and last but not least looking down industrialization and progress of the industries. There are at least a few more, but those tend to be the main ones played out in the poem. The impact these characteristics give to the poem is one of a happy death, no matter if you had a happy/uhappy life. You'd eventually end up becoming part of something that is way bigger than you or anyone else. I believe William's youth definitely played a part in his views of mortality when he wrote "Thanatopsis". Adults, overtime, develop worries and stress, and do not have the time to dwell long on such views or ideas therefore dismissing the thought. Nature, although it may be pleasing to the eye of the adult, does not seep deep into the spirit as it would a child and because of this childre feel the nature's words and whispers. They notice when something has gone amiss and taken a turn for the better, because it was a second mother caring for bruises and altering unhappy moods. Children however, certainly do question things, and tend to explore their curiosity sometimes, only few adults can make such a claim. Had he written it 20-50 years later he would most likely still have the curiosity with him, just his idea of mortality would be more philosophical and probably not as deep in detail as when he wrote it when he was sixteen. since, he would still write it, it shows that he would be one of those rare adults who ventured out to explore their curiosity, but it would be more difficult to grasp the concept and therefore make out what the author's thoughts/opinions are. The fact of transforming when the reaper has called would be changed into a mere detail and not an explanation as to how you need to accept it rather than try to return it.
The main theme/philosophy surrounding “Thanatopsis” is the inevitability of death and how we must accept that it is predestined for us even before we are born, or at least into this human form. Whether we lead fulfilling lives or not, every one of us is going to die, or in the poem’s case, transform in order to truly become one with nature.
“Thanatopsis” can be regarded as romantic in numerous ways. Evidently, it looks to nature as being pure, while civilization is artificial. Civilizations were developed to show individuality but the poem expresses nature’s indifference to it, as there will always be natural disasters striking and disregarding who or what it hits. Additionally, it is imaginative and oxymoronically finds the beauty in the (somewhat) tragedy we call death. Granted our human bodies will decompose into the ground and all our accomplishments will be forever lost in time, we may blossom, perhaps literally, into another body. The elements our humanly forms possessed would provide nutrition for a flower or tree to grow. Another romantic aspect of “Thanatopsis” is how it looks to the past. It reflects upon how an innumerable count of people have died before us, yet in a sense they are still with us no matter where we go. They exist in the pavements we walk upon, the grass we lay in, and even the water we drink; We too will eventually be embodied by nature and be among those before us. Lastly, it discusses being youthful to perceive nature in such a manner rather than being mature.
I believe William Cullen Bryant’s youth did play a crucial role in his views of mortality. Those who are young always have a curiosity of their surroundings and demand answers to feel personal security. Had he been older, he may not have been as concerned about nature but rather about what humans systematically do for most of their lives: work. By the time he is an adult, his mind would’ve been soiled by the thoughts of trying to achieve physical accomplishments in order to determine self-worth instead of attempting to get to know himself spiritually. Maybe if he had written “Thanatopsis” 20-50 years later, he would see nature objectively and separate from himself, though the truth of the matter is that he is nature as well; All of us are.
Sharon Phan The theme of “Thanatopsis” is that death is unavoidable and should be accepted in a positive connotation rather than a negative one. It explains how in the end we are all the same and become part of the Earth when we die. Despite it’s theme of death, it’s still considered a romantic poem. It understands the beauty of nature, uncommonly accepts death, and finds youthful innocence important. In this poem nature isn’t just a couple of trees you see at the park, but more of a person. Bryant characterizes it as “she” in the poem and describes her as consoling and beautiful. In the poem it seems that when nobody else is there, nature will be and makes things a just little bit better. He also sees death as something we should embrace rather than fear. He explains how when we die, we don’t just get shoved down to into the ground, but we truly become one with the earth. It also points out that no matter how your life was lived, in the end we’re all the same and that although we won’t be what we used to we’ll still be living because endings are beginning to something new. This being said, Bryant also says that even though we never truly die we should still live the lives that we have. We will never be exactly who we were before in a previous life so we should cherish what we have when we have it. I think that his youth does play a crucial part on his thoughts on mortality. When we’re young we think that we are invincible. We are blithe, carefree, and ignorant. Our mentality is “Oh, that’ll never happen to me.” In the end of the poem he states that we should enjoy the life that we have while we can which is similar to how children and adolescents already act. However, it is possible that he wrote this twenty to fifty years later. Not many teens think of death in an uplifting manner or appreciate the beauty of nature like he does in this poem. Usually teenagers don't think of death this deeply, unlike Bryant. He could have written it when he became older because from the sound of the poem he sounds like he's had more life experience than that of a teenager.
The main theme/philosophy surrounding "Thanatopsis" is that death is a natural and recurring thing that happens to everyone no matter what gender,race or social class. It is something that we all have in common. The poem mentions nature quite often and how it is where you should turn. It is describing that if we are contemplating death and are fearful of it, we should turn to nature for it will ease our fears and pains. "Thanatopsis" I believe, is a poem to help ease our minds on the thought of death by guiding us to nature. According to the poem, we are a part of nature and vice versa, therefore if we are born as a part of nature, we will die and vanish into nature.
"Thanatopsis" has many characteristics that categorize it as romantic. One being that the author was 16 when he wrote this poem which give it the youthful characteristic. Another being that it is favoring nature over civilization and society. It also has the characteristic of favoring intuition over reason when it describes how we just have to accept death as a natural part of life with no question.
I think that William Cullen Bryant's youth does play a huge part on his thoughts about mortality because when we are young, we see things way differently than adults. We don't take things as serious as we should. Children love to explore and have huge imaginations and are very creative. I believe as you get older, you slowly lose your imagination as you become more and more mature. If William Cullen Bryant was older I think he would have a totally different perception of death.
The theme of “Thanatopsis” is that when your hurting in life, nature can comfort you in some way. Even though death is inevitable everyone in the world has to deal with the same. All the people that ever lived and are yet to be born will have to go through the same cycle. And the way people can deal with death is that to be positive while you have life as well as do your best while your living it. this poem really is a romantic poem even though its really impressing, and kind of goes against what i believe in.
The characteristics that make it Romantic are the awe of nature by the quote " To him who in the love of Nature hold Communion with her visible forms, she speaks A various language;" which basically says that nature speaks to people for comfort and necessary reasons. It also says that people can learn things from nature.
Another characteristics that make it Romantic is when the text says" Go forth under the open sky, and list To Nature's teachings," which means you can learn a lot from nature and if you really trust in nature you can gain something truly worth while.
Mariana Ponce The main theme of "Thanatopsis" is that death will eventually come to each and every human being living; it is unpreventable. There is no way of escaping it, you cannot sit there and believe the contrary. "Thanatopsis" looks at the situation of death as a positive factor. It’s persuading us to accept the reality rather than denying it and being afraid of it. The poem shows numerous factors of romanticism including; the reflection of beauty of nature, youthful innocence and expression of imagery. They reflection of beauty and nature is shown because he refers to our death as a way to start over again. We all fall into nature and eventually our memories, thoughts, and feelings will spread throughout. Youthfulness is expressed because he wants us to see that there is more to death than just dying; he desires us, the audience, to be more mature about it. Last but not least, the poem bleeds imagery throughout the whole art. He makes is easier for us to actually be part of the poem and able to reflect on it. William Cullen Bryant’s youth did play a crucial role in his views of mortality. Children often aren't as aware of their surroundings as they should be. But then again they are children, of course they aren't going to care about what’s going on around them, especially not death; they just want to have fun. At a younger age children and teenagers are more worried about their toys and who they appear to be. If Bryant was to have written the poem 20-50 years after, he might have be more aware about what life really is like, what bigger problems are going on in the world. Although he would still be questioning and the poem would have went further into detail.
The main theme in "Thanatopsis" is that death is something that awaits everyone but that it should be accepted. It tells of how when death may come you will be one with nature because you will in fact be recycled by nature since you are buried at death. The theme that death and nature can correlate with each other is to try to comfort people so death can be accepted and something to be looked forward to since it tells of how nature also awaits you.
I believe that there are many Romantic characteristics within "Thanatopsis" which can be clearly identified. It shows how the author has no desire to be with artificial civilization and would rather be amongst unspoiled nature. It also shows the power of the author's imagination because of his youth and his youthful experiences. Most of the content is about nature and it's exotic and beautiful local which make it another reason to be Romantic. It also clearly shows that spiritual and moral development come from being in nature while still having a youthful mind open to new experiences. It brings together spirituality and nature as it says how nature will care for you and will always be there for you even in when in death because of how you will become part of nature and a part of everything when you are put into the Earth, still and lifeless but satisfied that you will become part of nature just as everyone before you has. The author also shows preference for his feelings toward nature and not for what civilization had added to his intuition. It also shows his individual freedom as he is free to think whatever he pleases and believe in what he feels is right without the influence of humanity.
I feel that youth plays an important role in how the author views morality because it's the period of time when imagination and beliefs impact the young the most and how they perceive things also changes views of morality. His views may have varied because when he was young he might have been more optimist about certain topics that the majority might have been pessimist about. If he had written "Thanatopsis" 20-50 years later his views on morality may have shifted or his views and feelings towards nature may have differed because of more past experiences. Experiences may have impacted him more negatively than positively and he may have made seem death feel like a burden where those close to him suffer for his death. He might have even felt that nature should be left a low in order to preserve it and it's beauty so mankind should keep away. That seem to be what a more grown and experienced person would say but maybe the author's views won't change If his mind stays like in his youth so he can see things through a child's eyes as he did when he was young.
Katherine Martinez Thanatopsis is a poem written by William Cullen Bryant. He was 16 when he wrote it and talks about the concept of death. The theme of his poem is to not fear death. In the poem he states that once we die we come back in the form of something else. The characteristics that makes it a romanticism poem is that it talks about life and death, also it talks about nature. He values feelings over reason, and a world of imagination. His age had nothing to do with the poem he created, but its amusing how someone at the age of 16 can talk so much about death using figurative language how could he know so much ? he would of written the poem the same 20-50 years later because the concept of death doesn't change. Death is something that will be around and nothing can stop it and there's many different ways to look at it and in Thanatopsis is one way.
We are only a part of the cycle of nature, would be the main philosophy surrounding Thanatopsis. The theme of death, and life after death would be the main theme from Thanatopsis. The part in Thanatopsis where the figurative language shifts over to the thought of death does not exist is one characteristic that makes it romantic because it has the characteristic of supernatural and the beauty of nature. The author’s youth plays a significant part on how he views morality because when you’re 16 years old you’re still respectfully innocent to the risks and dangers of civilization. No worries, no concerns, nothing you can’t tackle. The power of youth is extremely bias when it comes to reality you make decisions based off of emotion not off of fact. This affects his view on the world, and reality strongly enough that he is infatuated with his own dream. If he were between the ages of 20-50 he would have much less nature in his poem, and especially romanticism due to the experience of life he’s built up over the years. Experience is parallel to fact; therefore, if you analyze the world around you based off of fact and experience, you come to realize that you’re not as infatuated with your little fantasies.
The main characteristics behind the philosophy of ‘Thanatopsis’ is that death is the only thing promise in life. People instead of having fear towards death, they have curiosity about it. We all have curiosity of the things we are not permitted to know about. We all know that death can be around the corner and a lot of people like to talk about in a romantic way because its our next life ahead. Death can be seen romantic because of the characteristics such as admiring and reviving in the afterlife. Also because people like to think about death in a positive way and that after we die, a new life starts for our remains.
I strongly believe that William Cullen Bryant’s youth had a big impact on writing the poem about mortality. The ones at a young age always have the curiosity button, always thinking and creating theories about everything. In this case William Cullen Bryant had a strong curiosity towards death. He found a way to look at death that made other people realize that death isn't a negative thing, but instead its a good thing. Sometimes the curiosity of the youth teaches everyone else a lesson or points out a different view in that subject. William Cullen Bryant truly did that, he made death look something to look forward to. His youth played the biggest role in writing the poem.
I think that if William Cullen Bryant wrote the poem 20-50 years later it would change in the way that maybe he would include more knowledge about his life and any experience death. Also it may not be as powerful and meaningful years later or maybe more meaningful. It might of change in the way that William wouldn’t have as much curiosity or the thirst to wonder about death. Also that maybe the part of nature wouldn’t be included and instead he would include a ghost or imaginary person talking about death. Theres a lot of different possibilities but I think the biggest factor of written a poem is the motivation behind the person writing the poem. Also another significant change could of been that maybe William Cullen Bryant could of had more or less motivation about what happens after we die.
The main theme/philosophy of the "Thanatopsis" poem by William Cullen Bryant is death. In his poem William describes how nature has the ability to make a person feel better, or rather it can make the pain one can feel become less painful. He mentions that instead of worrying about death you should go outside and listen to the voice of nature. Since he believes that life does not end when death takes over, life continues in another phase but you will always be part of nature. Or in other words everyone is part of the cycle of life; life is never ending. Having said that, he also describes how the voice of nature will remind someone that they will indeed vanish when they die but that they will eventually mix into the earth. He tries to console the reader by saying that the voice of nature also tells us that when we die we wont be alone. Since every person that has lived on earth and died is on the ground, and those who are yet alive will eventually die and remain in the ground as well. The characteristics that make Thanatopsis a romantic poem are that it highly emphasizes nature and death. But the title of the poem also makes it romantic. Other characteristics are the romantic ideas that are included of loving nature and feeling that humans are a part of nature but mainly it arouses emotions and focuses on the supernatural. I cogitate that his youth does not take part in how he views mortality because it doesn't really matter how old you are to understand the cycle of life. It only takes the time to think about what really does happen when you die, but other than that i think that his youth does not interfere on how he views mortality. William would probably have written Thanatopsis no different than how he wrote it the first time in 20-50 years later because the feeling and belief would still be within him. In my opinion he would still probably view mortality the same way as before and his mind wouldn't have changed. The idea cannot be changed, one knows they will die eventually and yes they will indeed become part of the earth and continue on as something else but still remain part of nature itself.
The main theme/philosophy of "Thanatopsis" is that death is everywhere and nothing can escape it. Bryant yet makes the concept of death a positive issue that keeps a cycle going and death is the beginning of life. He explains how death should be accepted and nature will take over once it reaches that point because your body mixes with earth’s features making you part of nature and closer to where you originally came from. The romanticism in this poem can be perceived in many ways. It has characteristics that come close to nature and how everyone after death mixes with earth’s elements implicating they still belong to this earth. He sees nature’s beauty and therefore, after one has passed to further join nature, it makes death become a positive factor in life. He also uses his poetry to further show his feelings and imagination to his readers about his outlook on nature and death. I believe William Cullen Bryant’s youth also played a huge role in his views of mortality. When people are young they are more curious of the life ahead of them and what may come after death, but as one gets older they may change in perception because they have had more life experiences. Both the youth and adults have different factors that may change the poem drastically because a teen enjoys life and tries to live to the fullest but when someone reaches adulthood they become more focused on work and family. Either way, if Bryant might have written this poem in 20-50 years in the future, I believe it would not change by much because he wrote like if he had much more experience than the casual teen would have.
The main theme in "Thanatopsis" is the concept of not fearing death ,but learning to accept it. Tho many see death as the end of life this poem shows death isn't the end of life and that life will continue for everyone. It shows that we become part of our nature ,but it doesn't necessarily how or what we come back to life in.The poem includes multiple romantic characteristics. It includes the concept youthful innocence to educated sophistication. This shown by the fact that the author was only 16 when he wrote this master piece. Since the author wrote a poem like this at a youthful age, another characteristic is finding inspiration in a myth because he is certain that nature keeps the life cycle going, but he has no evidence that it is true. Due to the fact that he was only 16 when he wrote the poem, is mind still hasn't matured fully and he might not understand the depth and reality of death. If he were to write a poem 20-50 years later, I have no doubt that the poem would be completely different. As time would pass by the author will go through many experiences that will include the death of someone close to him and he might feel different about the concept of death.
The main theme around “Thanatopsis” is that life and death are corresponding cycles that are inevitable to avoid. Some characteristics that are in this poem that make it Romantic are that it sees poetry as a high form of imagination and visual craft, thinks about nature as a form of moral development, and favors the innocence of youth. Youth does play a big part because there are points of views from a person who is young and a person who is old that are portrayed. One talking about the glory and fun of nature and the other talking about the end but that it will happen again. If an article or should I say poem were to have been written again, it would have many outlets for the creative minds of people to use such as music like country or hip-hop, or in an article in some sort of newspaper expressing his or her romantic views on a certain topic or keep it as a regular poem. Now that pieces of literature like “Thanatopsis” could be read by so many more people, there will be an increase of people building romantic views and start expressing it through art and paintings of the sort.
The main theme of "Thanatopsis" is the different perspective that it is a positive thing. Thanatopsis is the view or contemplation of death. William Cullen Bryant, the author of "Thanatopsis" views death as the doorway to a new beginning or life. In Bryant's youthful perspective, death is something to look forward to. The idea that he gives is that nature is the after death itself. When someone or a life in general dies, it becomes a part of nature, and it just keeps recycling forever. I think "forever" would be a great word to describe "Thanatopsis" because the concept that "death is a new beginning" means that nothing will ever really die.
"Thanatopsis" is very much romantic. The poem is full of unspoiled nature, describing that nature is the afterlife of death. The author does not involve artificial civilization in his poem, because he specifically stresses on the awe of nature, which could also be the theme of "Thanatopsis".The poem expands on how nature is made of death, because of the past. The fact that there have been millions before us, they become everything we see and touch. Nature is everyone in the past. They are what we eat, drink, and breathe. Also, the fact that he was sixteen years old when William Cullen Bryant wrote "Thanatopsis", his youthful imagination gives this poem the biggest reason for how romantically characterized it is. His imagination and emotion that he stresses throughout the poem over reasons makes it very romantic. Another romantic characteristic that "Thanatopsis" provides is the concern over human rights or individualism. In my perspective, I think that Bryant's idea of death as a positive thing, gives equality to all people. The fairness and equality that everyone will soon die eventually senses or touches on human rights, because it's the right of every human being. It gives all people security and freedom that death is not a negative thing, so no one should be afraid of it.
William Cullen Bryan's youth certainly plays a significant role in how he views mortality. His youthful mind gives him an open mind. Have you ever noticed that young children, even in their teenage years are very curious people? At a young age, kids are very imaginative and quite romantic to describe it overall. Anyway, Bryant's youthful mind gave him a herd of views or imagination about death. His unique mind so happens to imagine that death is not a bad thing as opposed to how most people view death. Bryant may have written "Thanatopsis" less romantically if he wrote it 20-450 years later, because the fact that his mind and perspective may change over time, due to experiences his mentality may be more on the reason over imagination and emotion side. I believe that older people who have experienced many things are less imaginative, because their mentality is more on civilization.
The main theme in Thanatopsis is to not fear death but embrace it. Death can come in many different ways and it can be un expecting as well. Thanatopsis explains that people should not fear death but just realize that you are not actually leaving the earth but now your becoming part of it. We have always been a part of earth but once you die you act as a whole with it. Nobody should fear death because "death" is just a new beginning, what I mean by that is that now you will be able to be used with any need. For example, your ashes will be spread and with those, a brand new tree can grow. You will be reused even when you "die". Life and death is all a cycle, you never really die. When you do die, you just join all your ancestor and all of the great people who lived this planet. Death can be seen in many ways. Many people may see it as a negative thing but some people see it as a positive thing because it's another phase in human nature. Some characteristics of Thanatopsis are that nature is the beauty of everything. It talks about how nature can comfort people because as they wonder about death, they can think about how they will join nature like the rest of the people have. I also think that another characteristic in Thanatopsis is the youthful innocence I educated sophistication because he was very young when he wrote this poem so he had the idea of death already in his mind. If he were to wait 20-50 years to write this poem I would say he would write it completely different because he would go through many experiences which can ultimately affect his view on death. It's never to late to start thinking about our afterlife, what are your views on that?
The main philosophy behind the “Thanatopsis” is youthful innocence towards the impending cycle of life. As described in the “Thanatopsis” everybody who has been manufactured since the existence of the earth goes the same cycle of birth, death, then recycled into the world to guide the life of another into death. With a theory like this one doesn’t it seem wasteful to birth batch after batch of children to just have there turn on the gigantic wheel we call life. However, with every group of children there is new ways of thinking and those thoughts can lead to greatness or tragedies. If you evaluate yourself and the group of people you were apart of you will realize that there are some heretics that you or someone you know affiliated with. The point being, each and every experience of life is different and everybody’s opinion of the meaning to life is different. The different experiences of life is what brings up the main reason to stay and enjoy for your turn to leave the earth with your unique legacy for the next cycle to deal with. This theory of a life cycle in which one is born, eventual death, and then recycled into earth for next generations practically describes a romantic poem. Some characteristics, which make this poem romantic, are Youthful innocence; William Cullen Bryant makes the reader feel young and free of care from important issues by taking the readers interest away from the origin of their issues. By taking people away from their issues Bryant shuns the artificiality of civilization while also contemplating nature as path to spiritual and moral development. Bryant sets a romantic theme of powerful imagination and beautiful nature by using whimsical metaphorical language with good word choice and a powerful mode. Bryant’s youth play a huge part in his views of mortality. Being young and carefree shows that young people have not experienced true purpose of life and for people who believe Bryant’s nihilistic theories cannot and will not find meaning in life. People who believe in Bryant’s romantic poem’s meanings will also view death as something that is a beginning to the next adventure in their life. If Bryant may have written some parts of his poem differently if he were to have written it later in his life, but overall his would still believe in the cycle of life. This poem has had me reevaluate my values and morals of life, but I still know my meaning to life.
Do you remember anything before being born? It would be very difficult to think without a brain, right? We’ll experience something very similar after death because we’re going to all die. The ideology behind Thanatopsis tells that everything has a cycle of life and death. Nothing can be immortal except for the process that has giving us the gift of life. People think that death is dark and frigid. Most people have viewed death as something different from life. It is simply the other side of a dynamic coin. It can be seen in both ways, but it all depends on our attitude towards the life and death of the being. Death can be a graceful and beautiful thing when looking through the correct lens. Most people mourn because they feel cheated by death itself. We’ve associated so many negative things with death in society. If anything, we have been misled by our own intuition. Its impossible to have life without repaying a debt that we’ve borrowed from this earth. Thanatopsis is one of the most romantic poems written because it give you an outlook on death from natures perspective. It states that death is just another vital process for us to complete our life. It’s also romantic because it shows that everything is following is natural process. He was younger, yet he had ideas that death was just an old youth. If he were to write the same poem 20-50 years from his youthful teen years, he would have seen more people die around him. Thanatopsis would have been drastically different because his ideas of death would have progressed further. He might not be afraid of death towards his middle years, but he would’ve been more thoughtful of not being alive much longer.
The main theme surrounding “Thanatopsis” by William Cullen Bryant is death. From the title to the last line of the poem screams death all over. He’s imparts that at one point everyone will die and death isn’t a thing to be afraid of.Some of the characteristics make this poem romantic is based on a few things. One it captured on the supernatural like for example on the first line that says To him who in the love of Nature holds Communion with her visible forms, she speaks (1-2). She being Mother nature in which she enchants you with her voice even if you do not see her visible form. Another is the play on emotions. It captivates the reader to be less worried about dying because you will transform and how it should be the last thing on their mind. I believe that his youth plays a part in how he views mortality because it is the fact that he is young. I would compare his views on his poem to the except of Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson and because the youthfulness represents the innocence of how they can view the world as a big place with an open mind with many different kinds of possibilities. If he were to write this poem 20-50 years later he would probably write it in a more mature/critical thinking “reasonable” on how everyone will die and life is the end with no possibility of being transformed type of way. That youthful innocence gains power in believing that we have a second chance of being something useful to this world.
The main theme of "Thanatopsis" would be the fact that death in something unavoidable, and that when it reaches our time, we shall merge into a rebirth and transform into nature. William Cullen Bryant tries to persuade the reader into think that nobody ever really dies, but that they simply evolve to become one with the earth.
The romanticism of "Thanatopsis" can be perceived in a numerous amount of ways. The author starts the poem with a mood and sets the image of nature. He describes nature using personification, addressing it as 'her', and exemplifying how nature can be seen to mock a person's feelings. Bryant acknowledges the view of wisdom and individualism by employing the use of thought provokers to allow the reader to realize that all of the descendants of the past are still part of the world today, and that they have participated in the way of life. He also uses hoards of imagination to exemplify the natural beauty by incorporating the ideas of past kings and astronomy. Since he wrote this at the age of 16, his youthful views of life can be assumed as most teenagers have an expansive imagination which allows them to feel impregnable.
Since Bryan wrote this poem at a young age, I believe that his youth highly influenced his feelings towards mortality. Although this was written back in the 1800s when times were much simpler, I think Bryan still had the same attitude towards life as modern teenagers do today. Most teenagers tend to live in the moment, and they believe that they are impregnable. If Bryan were to write this poem 20-30 years later than he originally had, he would probably have a broader sense of imagination than when he was a teenager. He'd still be optimistic about death as he knew that it happens to everyone, but after experiencing life (having a job and family) he probably wouldn't have even considered that there is still meaning to his body after death.
I believe that the main theme or philosophy surrounding “Thanatopsis” is the idea that life is a cycle that we all go through and that death is a fate that we all share. It also includes the concept that when a person dies, he is reborn or becomes a part of nature. William Cullen Bryant starts his poem off by saying how nature can sometimes be a source of comfort to us and that we should go outside more to experience what nature has to offer us. He talks about how when we die, we won’t be alone because we’ll end up joining the people that were on this earth before us He also tells about if we begin to notice nature, we’ll find that it has a lot of lessons to teach us. The poem tells us that we should fear death as it is part of nature’s plan for all of us because that is the one unifying fate we all eventually will reach. I think Bryant’s youth plays a part on his views on mortality. He knows that there are unlimited possibilities in the world and has time to contemplate what happens to us after we die and that might’ve been where he got the theory of thanatopsis. I believe that if he were to have written this piece of literature 20-50 years later, he might’ve had a more serious and strict and more specific tone on his views of life and afterlife. He might’ve had a better idea of what to make of the things he’s learned up until then and formed a more secure idea of his emotions on the topic.
Aaron Gaona The main theme of Thanatopsis by William Cullen Bryant is death and how death impacts us. He talks about how nature not only is a part of us be we are a part of it and that even if we tried we couldn't change the fact that we will become part of nature. He states that death is inevitable but that we can change our perception on death and not view it as something negative but as something more positive and something that benefits everybody everywhere. the characteristics that the poem has that makes it romantic are how nature speaks to us and is more that just wood or greens and that it is spiritual, also that he explains that when you die it doesn't matter how rich or poor you are because you end up the same and you end up in the same place. This is a romantic poem because it contemplates natures beauty as a path to spiritual and moral development. I think that the age he was when he wrote the poem gave him a view of seeing death then if he was older because he wouldn't have the same perception of it. j think he wrote this poem in search of relieving the scares of death and wanting to get the point across that just because you die you don't just die but that you serve a purpose and you have a higher meaning in life. I think twenty or fifty years later he would still have the same idea on death and where it leads you but he would know more about the topic through personal experience and he would be even more wise than he was when he was young.
Thanatopsis revolves around the theme/philosophy of death being inevitable no matter what. The cycle of life & death is forever continuous. We are born into this earth; we leave and become one with the world that surrounds us. A huge emphasis is also placed on the natural beauty of nature and the way it is so essential to life on earth. William Cullen Bryant describes death as if it were a friend to be welcomed into open arms. He does not see it as the horrifying gloom to the deadline of life, but as a phase to the return of nature. He also stresses over the point of how death is our greatest equalizer; it eliminates all the factors that once set us apart, including our race, religion, skin color, social class, and age. We are advised to live our life without regret, and to look at death without fear because death is just a continuity of life.
The poem "Thanatopsis" resembles a romantic poem in many ways. Bryant repeatedly implies that when we die, we are returned to nature, and that corresponds to more than one characteristics which include: Searching for more exotic settings and the natural world; reflects on natures beauty as a path to spiritual and moral development and prefers life in nature. Another characteristic expressed in this poem is innocence and pure of purpose, like when he describes death as easy as lying down and going to sleep. Bryant wrote this poem around the age of 17 which I think played an important role in his perspective of life due in part to the fact that the younger you are, the more innocence your soul has.
If this poem were written in his later years, I believe that his views on death would have been dramatically different. With age comes wisdom and maturity, and he would have experienced so many more instances that could change his opinions and views on death.
The theme of Thanatopsis is the message of death. Death is not the end of a life, but a start to a new one. This cycle of life and death is the basis of nature on earth. As being part of the earth, people go through this cycle also and there are no ways around it, it is inevitable. Being age 16, the author argues everyone’s view of death is wrong. Everyone thinks that death is the end to everything, life and hope. But the author states differently; he states that death is the start of a new life, and in every life there is death. This poem uses poetry as a way of art, a way to express its theme using imagery. This is a characteristic of romanticism. Other characteristic includes the way nature is mentioned in this poem. In this poem, nature is personified giving it a more lively and emotional image. This poem also portrays a youthful or immortal concept. The author states that death is the start of a new life, in other words, the end is the start of something new. So will there ever be an end? According to him, there is no end to life, thus, life is immortal. This has nothing to do with his youth, instead, his view of mortality is just his thought of death and that has nothing to do with age. If he has written it 20-50 years later, he would have written it differently. As he goes into the real world, he’ll experience things that he never has in his teenage years. And maybe these things will change his thoughts on death or maybe his definition of death might be different. Death doesn't have to be the death of a person; it can also be the death of hope or an idea. And maybe he might incorporate that into his poem which makes the theme and the type of poem different.
the theme of Thanatopsis is about Death. its explaining that people come and go and will face death at some point. so we shouldn't be so afraid or try to avoid it but instead embrace it and try to prepare it. it like our role in this world, to die so then later on we can be reborn . some characteristics that make this poem romantic is the connection with mother nature along with her connection with people. the poem explains death resting in her hands. mother nature also represents imagination. a huge thing that makes this poem very romantic is the use of common people. in the poem its referring that when a common man dies, it's the same when someone of a higher class dies.
youth definitely plays a huge part in how he views mortality by the fact that he believes there's endless possibilities and that the age he composed this is the age when people are at the highest point of using imagination but also the age where we are usually the most curious about everything. if Bryant had written this poem 20 years later I'm sure he would of had created a better tone and theme to the poem. he would have experienced and learned more about death. his poem would actually be more detailed and use better figurative language
Diana Carabajal I think that the main theme and philosophy of the Thanatopsis is death. I think death is the theme because the whole poem talks about death and how death is. The characteristics that make it romantic is the way that it talks about death. It expresses death as being nature. It compares death with nature and says how a persons life comes from nature when the life has just begun and ends going into nature as well. I do believe that youth plays a role in how he views death because he is only reflection on what he knows. He was young when he wrote it and probably hadn't had a lot of experience in his life to really talk ore about it. I think that if had wrote it 20-50 years after he had written it with more experience on life and reflecting more on how death would be different.
Meryl Cantoria The main theme or philosophy behind "Thanatopsis" is that death is only part of a human cycle that we shouldn't fear of. A person experiences rebirth through nature. The soil eats the dead, we use the soil to grow and to live on and the cycle is inevitably constant. Although death is unavoidable, we shouldn't be afraid of it because everyone is the same. All of us has the same origin because everyone experiences the same natural cycle. A cycle that lets nature live within us and us to live within nature. William Cullen Bryant's poem states that we don't die alone because we are still part of nature and how everyone experiences the same cycle.
"Thanatopsis" is romantic in a way that it avoids civilization's artificial form of nature and instead seeks a deeper meaning in it. Most of us identifies nature as just natural living and non-living things. In Bryan't poem, it provides the depth of nature's beauty as a path to spiritual and moral development by stating that one shouldn't be afraid to face death. As a seventeen year old, William Cullen Bryant's youth plays a part in how he views in mortality. I believe that his innocence and curiosity kept him wondering about death until he came up with a clear conclusion. The younger the person is, the stronger their curiosity is because they aren't as experienced as adults. 20-50 years later, I believe that William Bryant won't manifest the same thoughts that he has now. He would have encountered a lot of experiences and won't have the same view towards nature and death.
The main theme/philosophy surrounding "Thanatopsis" is that death is omnipresent, and is a beginning rather than an ending. Its a transformation from a flesh-filled life as human, into an herb, plant or some other biotic part of the Earth. It's something one should welcome rather than be afraid of because it reunites you with the nature that you have been born from, yet in a closer way. some characteristics that make this piece of literature Romantic would be the in-depth description/imagery of nature, pertaining to youthful innocence, looking to the past for wisdom, and last but not least looking down industrialization and progress of the industries. There are at least a few more, but those tend to be the main ones played out in the poem. The impact these characteristics give to the poem is one of a happy death, no matter if you had a happy/uhappy life. You'd eventually end up becoming part of something that is way bigger than you or anyone else. I believe William's youth definitely played a part in his views of mortality when he wrote "Thanatopsis". Adults, overtime, develop worries and stress, and do not have the time to dwell long on such views or ideas therefore dismissing the thought. Nature, although it may be pleasing to the eye of the adult, does not seep deep into the spirit as it would a child and because of this childre feel the nature's words and whispers. They notice when something has gone amiss and taken a turn for the better, because it was a second mother caring for bruises and altering unhappy moods. Children however, certainly do question things, and tend to explore their curiosity sometimes, only few adults can make such a claim. Had he written it 20-50 years later he would most likely still have the curiosity with him, just his idea of mortality would be more philosophical and probably not as deep in detail as when he wrote it when he was sixteen. since, he would still write it, it shows that he would be one of those rare adults who ventured out to explore their curiosity, but it would be more difficult to grasp the concept and therefore make out what the author's thoughts/opinions are. The fact of transforming when the reaper has called would be changed into a mere detail and not an explanation as to how you need to accept it rather than try to return it.
ReplyDeleteLizel San Juan
ReplyDeleteThe main theme/philosophy surrounding “Thanatopsis” is the inevitability of death and how we must accept that it is predestined for us even before we are born, or at least into this human form. Whether we lead fulfilling lives or not, every one of us is going to die, or in the poem’s case, transform in order to truly become one with nature.
“Thanatopsis” can be regarded as romantic in numerous ways. Evidently, it looks to nature as being pure, while civilization is artificial. Civilizations were developed to show individuality but the poem expresses nature’s indifference to it, as there will always be natural disasters striking and disregarding who or what it hits. Additionally, it is imaginative and oxymoronically finds the beauty in the (somewhat) tragedy we call death. Granted our human bodies will decompose into the ground and all our accomplishments will be forever lost in time, we may blossom, perhaps literally, into another body. The elements our humanly forms possessed would provide nutrition for a flower or tree to grow. Another romantic aspect of “Thanatopsis” is how it looks to the past. It reflects upon how an innumerable count of people have died before us, yet in a sense they are still with us no matter where we go. They exist in the pavements we walk upon, the grass we lay in, and even the water we drink; We too will eventually be embodied by nature and be among those before us. Lastly, it discusses being youthful to perceive nature in such a manner rather than being mature.
I believe William Cullen Bryant’s youth did play a crucial role in his views of mortality. Those who are young always have a curiosity of their surroundings and demand answers to feel personal security. Had he been older, he may not have been as concerned about nature but rather about what humans systematically do for most of their lives: work. By the time he is an adult, his mind would’ve been soiled by the thoughts of trying to achieve physical accomplishments in order to determine self-worth instead of attempting to get to know himself spiritually. Maybe if he had written “Thanatopsis” 20-50 years later, he would see nature objectively and separate from himself, though the truth of the matter is that he is nature as well; All of us are.
Sharon Phan
ReplyDeleteThe theme of “Thanatopsis” is that death is unavoidable and should be accepted in a positive connotation rather than a negative one. It explains how in the end we are all the same and become part of the Earth when we die.
Despite it’s theme of death, it’s still considered a romantic poem. It understands the beauty of nature, uncommonly accepts death, and finds youthful innocence important. In this poem nature isn’t just a couple of trees you see at the park, but more of a person. Bryant characterizes it as “she” in the poem and describes her as consoling and beautiful. In the poem it seems that when nobody else is there, nature will be and makes things a just little bit better. He also sees death as something we should embrace rather than fear. He explains how when we die, we don’t just get shoved down to into the ground, but we truly become one with the earth. It also points out that no matter how your life was lived, in the end we’re all the same and that although we won’t be what we used to we’ll still be living because endings are beginning to something new. This being said, Bryant also says that even though we never truly die we should still live the lives that we have. We will never be exactly who we were before in a previous life so we should cherish what we have when we have it.
I think that his youth does play a crucial part on his thoughts on mortality. When we’re young we think that we are invincible. We are blithe, carefree, and ignorant. Our mentality is “Oh, that’ll never happen to me.” In the end of the poem he states that we should enjoy the life that we have while we can which is similar to how children and adolescents already act. However, it is possible that he wrote this twenty to fifty years later. Not many teens think of death in an uplifting manner or appreciate the beauty of nature like he does in this poem. Usually teenagers don't think of death this deeply, unlike Bryant. He could have written it when he became older because from the sound of the poem he sounds like he's had more life experience than that of a teenager.
The main theme/philosophy surrounding "Thanatopsis" is that death is a natural and recurring thing that happens to everyone no matter what gender,race or social class. It is something that we all have in common. The poem mentions nature quite often and how it is where you should turn. It is describing that if we are contemplating death and are fearful of it, we should turn to nature for it will ease our fears and pains. "Thanatopsis" I believe, is a poem to help ease our minds on the thought of death by guiding us to nature. According to the poem, we are a part of nature and vice versa, therefore if we are born as a part of nature, we will die and vanish into nature.
ReplyDelete"Thanatopsis" has many characteristics that categorize it as romantic. One being that the author was 16 when he wrote this poem which give it the youthful characteristic. Another being that it is favoring nature over civilization and society. It also has the characteristic of favoring intuition over reason when it describes how we just have to accept death as a natural part of life with no question.
I think that William Cullen Bryant's youth does play a huge part on his thoughts about mortality because when we are young, we see things way differently than adults. We don't take things as serious as we should. Children love to explore and have huge imaginations and are very creative. I believe as you get older, you slowly lose your imagination as you become more and more mature. If William Cullen Bryant was older I think he would have a totally different perception of death.
Albert Felix
ReplyDeleteThe theme of “Thanatopsis” is that when your hurting in life, nature can comfort you in some way. Even though death is inevitable everyone in the world has to deal with the same. All the people that ever lived and are yet to be born will have to go through the same cycle. And the way people can deal with death is that to be positive while you have life as well as do your best while your living it. this poem really is a romantic poem even though its really impressing, and kind of goes against what i believe in.
The characteristics that make it Romantic are the awe of nature by the quote " To him who in the love of Nature hold Communion with her visible forms, she speaks A various language;" which basically says that nature speaks to people for comfort and necessary reasons. It also says that people can learn things from nature.
Another characteristics that make it Romantic is when the text says" Go forth under the open sky, and list To Nature's teachings," which means you can learn a lot from nature and if you really trust in nature you can gain something truly worth while.
Mariana Ponce
ReplyDeleteThe main theme of "Thanatopsis" is that death will eventually come to each and every human being living; it is unpreventable. There is no way of escaping it, you cannot sit there and believe the contrary. "Thanatopsis" looks at the situation of death as a positive factor. It’s persuading us to accept the reality rather than denying it and being afraid of it.
The poem shows numerous factors of romanticism including; the reflection of beauty of nature, youthful innocence and expression of imagery. They reflection of beauty and nature is shown because he refers to our death as a way to start over again. We all fall into nature and eventually our memories, thoughts, and feelings will spread throughout. Youthfulness is expressed because he wants us to see that there is more to death than just dying; he desires us, the audience, to be more mature about it. Last but not least, the poem bleeds imagery throughout the whole art. He makes is easier for us to actually be part of the poem and able to reflect on it.
William Cullen Bryant’s youth did play a crucial role in his views of mortality. Children often aren't as aware of their surroundings as they should be. But then again they are children, of course they aren't going to care about what’s going on around them, especially not death; they just want to have fun. At a younger age children and teenagers are more worried about their toys and who they appear to be. If Bryant was to have written the poem 20-50 years after, he might have be more aware about what life really is like, what bigger problems are going on in the world. Although he would still be questioning and the poem would have went further into detail.
Melissa Chavez
ReplyDeleteThe main theme in "Thanatopsis" is that death is something that awaits everyone but that it should be accepted. It tells of how when death may come you will be one with nature because you will in fact be recycled by nature since you are buried at death. The theme that death and nature can correlate with each other is to try to comfort people so death can be accepted and something to be looked forward to since it tells of how nature also awaits you.
I believe that there are many Romantic characteristics within "Thanatopsis" which can be clearly identified. It shows how the author has no desire to be with artificial civilization and would rather be amongst unspoiled nature. It also shows the power of the author's imagination because of his youth and his youthful experiences. Most of the content is about nature and it's exotic and beautiful local which make it another reason to be Romantic. It also clearly shows that spiritual and moral development come from being in nature while still having a youthful mind open to new experiences. It brings together spirituality and nature as it says how nature will care for you and will always be there for you even in when in death because of how you will become part of nature and a part of everything when you are put into the Earth, still and lifeless but satisfied that you will become part of nature just as everyone before you has. The author also shows preference for his feelings toward nature and not for what civilization had added to his intuition. It also shows his individual freedom as he is free to think whatever he pleases and believe in what he feels is right without the influence of humanity.
I feel that youth plays an important role in how the author views morality because it's the period of time when imagination and beliefs impact the young the most and how they perceive things also changes views of morality. His views may have varied because when he was young he might have been more optimist about certain topics that the majority might have been pessimist about. If he had written "Thanatopsis" 20-50 years later his views on morality may have shifted or his views and feelings towards nature may have differed because of more past experiences. Experiences may have impacted him more negatively than positively and he may have made seem death feel like a burden where those close to him suffer for his death. He might have even felt that nature should be left a low in order to preserve it and it's beauty so mankind should keep away. That seem to be what a more grown and experienced person would say but maybe the author's views won't change If his mind stays like in his youth so he can see things through a child's eyes as he did when he was young.
Katherine Martinez
ReplyDeleteThanatopsis is a poem written by William Cullen Bryant. He was 16 when he wrote it and talks about the concept of death. The theme of his poem is to not fear death. In the poem he states that once we die we come back in the form of something else. The characteristics that makes it a romanticism poem is that it talks about life and death, also it talks about nature. He values feelings over reason, and a world of imagination. His age had nothing to do with the poem he created, but its amusing how someone at the age of 16 can talk so much about death using figurative language how could he know so much ? he would of written the poem the same 20-50 years later because the concept of death doesn't change. Death is something that will be around and nothing can stop it and there's many different ways to look at it and in Thanatopsis is one way.
We are only a part of the cycle of nature, would be the main philosophy surrounding Thanatopsis. The theme of death, and life after death would be the main theme from Thanatopsis. The part in Thanatopsis where the figurative language shifts over to the thought of death does not exist is one characteristic that makes it romantic because it has the characteristic of supernatural and the beauty of nature. The author’s youth plays a significant part on how he views morality because when you’re 16 years old you’re still respectfully innocent to the risks and dangers of civilization. No worries, no concerns, nothing you can’t tackle. The power of youth is extremely bias when it comes to reality you make decisions based off of emotion not off of fact. This affects his view on the world, and reality strongly enough that he is infatuated with his own dream. If he were between the ages of 20-50 he would have much less nature in his poem, and especially romanticism due to the experience of life he’s built up over the years. Experience is parallel to fact; therefore, if you analyze the world around you based off of fact and experience, you come to realize that you’re not as infatuated with your little fantasies.
ReplyDeleteSantiago Ayala
ReplyDeleteThe main characteristics behind the philosophy of ‘Thanatopsis’ is that death is the only thing promise in life. People instead of having fear towards death, they have curiosity about it. We all have curiosity of the things we are not permitted to know about. We all know that death can be around the corner and a lot of people like to talk about in a romantic way because its our next life ahead. Death can be seen romantic because of the characteristics such as admiring and reviving in the afterlife. Also because people like to think about death in a positive way and that after we die, a new life starts for our remains.
I strongly believe that William Cullen Bryant’s youth had a big impact on writing the poem about mortality. The ones at a young age always have the curiosity button, always thinking and creating theories about everything. In this case William Cullen Bryant had a strong curiosity towards death. He found a way to look at death that made other people realize that death isn't a negative thing, but instead its a good thing. Sometimes the curiosity of the youth teaches everyone else a lesson or points out a different view in that subject. William Cullen Bryant truly did that, he made death look something to look forward to. His youth played the biggest role in writing the poem.
I think that if William Cullen Bryant wrote the poem 20-50 years later it would change in the way that maybe he would include more knowledge about his life and any experience death. Also it may not be as powerful and meaningful years later or maybe more meaningful. It might of change in the way that William wouldn’t have as much curiosity or the thirst to wonder about death. Also that maybe the part of nature wouldn’t be included and instead he would include a ghost or imaginary person talking about death. Theres a lot of different possibilities but I think the biggest factor of written a poem is the motivation behind the person writing the poem. Also another significant change could of been that maybe William Cullen Bryant could of had more or less motivation about what happens after we die.
The main theme/philosophy of the "Thanatopsis" poem by William Cullen Bryant is death. In his poem William describes how nature has the ability to make a person feel better, or rather it can make the pain one can feel become less painful. He mentions that instead of worrying about death you should go outside and listen to the voice of nature. Since he believes that life does not end when death takes over, life continues in another phase but you will always be part of nature. Or in other words everyone is part of the cycle of life; life is never ending. Having said that, he also describes how the voice of nature will remind someone that they will indeed vanish when they die but that they will eventually mix into the earth. He tries to console the reader by saying that the voice of nature also tells us that when we die we wont be alone. Since every person that has lived on earth and died is on the ground, and those who are yet alive will eventually die and remain in the ground as well.
ReplyDeleteThe characteristics that make Thanatopsis a romantic poem are that it highly emphasizes nature and death. But the title of the poem also makes it romantic. Other characteristics are the romantic ideas that are included of loving nature and feeling that humans are a part of nature but mainly it arouses emotions and focuses on the supernatural. I cogitate that his youth does not take part in how he views mortality because it doesn't really matter how old you are to understand the cycle of life. It only takes the time to think about what really does happen when you die, but other than that i think that his youth does not interfere on how he views mortality.
William would probably have written Thanatopsis no different than how he wrote it the first time in 20-50 years later because the feeling and belief would still be within him. In my opinion he would still probably view mortality the same way as before and his mind wouldn't have changed. The idea cannot be changed, one knows they will die eventually and yes they will indeed become part of the earth and continue on as something else but still remain part of nature itself.
Sergio Mariscal
ReplyDeleteThe main theme/philosophy of "Thanatopsis" is that death is everywhere and nothing can escape it. Bryant yet makes the concept of death a positive issue that keeps a cycle going and death is the beginning of life. He explains how death should be accepted and nature will take over once it reaches that point because your body mixes with earth’s features making you part of nature and closer to where you originally came from. The romanticism in this poem can be perceived in many ways. It has characteristics that come close to nature and how everyone after death mixes with earth’s elements implicating they still belong to this earth. He sees nature’s beauty and therefore, after one has passed to further join nature, it makes death become a positive factor in life. He also uses his poetry to further show his feelings and imagination to his readers about his outlook on nature and death.
I believe William Cullen Bryant’s youth also played a huge role in his views of mortality. When people are young they are more curious of the life ahead of them and what may come after death, but as one gets older they may change in perception because they have had more life experiences. Both the youth and adults have different factors that may change the poem drastically because a teen enjoys life and tries to live to the fullest but when someone reaches adulthood they become more focused on work and family. Either way, if Bryant might have written this poem in 20-50 years in the future, I believe it would not change by much because he wrote like if he had much more experience than the casual teen would have.
Diogo Holanda
ReplyDeleteThe main theme in "Thanatopsis" is the concept of not fearing death ,but learning to accept it. Tho many see death as the end of life this poem shows death isn't the end of life and that life will continue for everyone. It shows that we become part of our nature ,but it doesn't necessarily how or what we come back to life in.The poem includes multiple romantic characteristics. It includes the concept youthful innocence to educated sophistication. This shown by the fact that the author was only 16 when he wrote this master piece. Since the author wrote a poem like this at a youthful age, another characteristic is finding inspiration in a myth because he is certain that nature keeps the life cycle going, but he has no evidence that it is true. Due to the fact that he was only 16 when he wrote the poem, is mind still hasn't matured fully and he might not understand the depth and reality of death. If he were to write a poem 20-50 years later, I have no doubt that the poem would be completely different. As time would pass by the author will go through many experiences that will include the death of someone close to him and he might feel different about the concept of death.
Freddie Kao
ReplyDeleteThe main theme around “Thanatopsis” is that life and death are corresponding cycles that are inevitable to avoid. Some characteristics that are in this poem that make it Romantic are that it sees poetry as a high form of imagination and visual craft, thinks about nature as a form of moral development, and favors the innocence of youth. Youth does play a big part because there are points of views from a person who is young and a person who is old that are portrayed. One talking about the glory and fun of nature and the other talking about the end but that it will happen again. If an article or should I say poem were to have been written again, it would have many outlets for the creative minds of people to use such as music like country or hip-hop, or in an article in some sort of newspaper expressing his or her romantic views on a certain topic or keep it as a regular poem. Now that pieces of literature like “Thanatopsis” could be read by so many more people, there will be an increase of people building romantic views and start expressing it through art and paintings of the sort.
Paul Perilla
ReplyDeleteThe main theme of "Thanatopsis" is the different perspective that it is a positive thing. Thanatopsis is the view or contemplation of death. William Cullen Bryant, the author of "Thanatopsis" views death as the doorway to a new beginning or life. In Bryant's youthful perspective, death is something to look forward to. The idea that he gives is that nature is the after death itself. When someone or a life in general dies, it becomes a part of nature, and it just keeps recycling forever. I think "forever" would be a great word to describe "Thanatopsis" because the concept that "death is a new beginning" means that nothing will ever really die.
"Thanatopsis" is very much romantic. The poem is full of unspoiled nature, describing that nature is the afterlife of death. The author does not involve artificial civilization in his poem, because he specifically stresses on the awe of nature, which could also be the theme of "Thanatopsis".The poem expands on how nature is made of death, because of the past. The fact that there have been millions before us, they become everything we see and touch. Nature is everyone in the past. They are what we eat, drink, and breathe. Also, the fact that he was sixteen years old when William Cullen Bryant wrote "Thanatopsis", his youthful imagination gives this poem the biggest reason for how romantically characterized it is. His imagination and emotion that he stresses throughout the poem over reasons makes it very romantic. Another romantic characteristic that "Thanatopsis" provides is the concern over human rights or individualism. In my perspective, I think that Bryant's idea of death as a positive thing, gives equality to all people. The fairness and equality that everyone will soon die eventually senses or touches on human rights, because it's the right of every human being. It gives all people security and freedom that death is not a negative thing, so no one should be afraid of it.
William Cullen Bryan's youth certainly plays a significant role in how he views mortality. His youthful mind gives him an open mind. Have you ever noticed that young children, even in their teenage years are very curious people? At a young age, kids are very imaginative and quite romantic to describe it overall. Anyway, Bryant's youthful mind gave him a herd of views or imagination about death. His unique mind so happens to imagine that death is not a bad thing as opposed to how most people view death. Bryant may have written "Thanatopsis" less romantically if he wrote it 20-450 years later, because the fact that his mind and perspective may change over time, due to experiences his mentality may be more on the reason over imagination and emotion side. I believe that older people who have experienced many things are less imaginative, because their mentality is more on civilization.
Noe Delgadillo
ReplyDelete3- period
The main theme in Thanatopsis is to not fear death but embrace it. Death can come in many different ways and it can be un expecting as well. Thanatopsis explains that people should not fear death but just realize that you are not actually leaving the earth but now your becoming part of it. We have always been a part of earth but once you die you act as a whole with it. Nobody should fear death because "death" is just a new beginning, what I mean by that is that now you will be able to be used with any need. For example, your ashes will be spread and with those, a brand new tree can grow. You will be reused even when you "die". Life and death is all a cycle, you never really die. When you do die, you just join all your ancestor and all of the great people who lived this planet. Death can be seen in many ways. Many people may see it as a negative thing but some people see it as a positive thing because it's another phase in human nature.
Some characteristics of Thanatopsis are that nature is the beauty of everything. It talks about how nature can comfort people because as they wonder about death, they can think about how they will join nature like the rest of the people have. I also think that another characteristic in Thanatopsis is the youthful innocence I educated sophistication because he was very young when he wrote this poem so he had the idea of death already in his mind. If he were to wait 20-50 years to write this poem I would say he would write it completely different because he would go through many experiences which can ultimately affect his view on death. It's never to late to start thinking about our afterlife, what are your views on that?
The main philosophy behind the “Thanatopsis” is youthful innocence towards the impending cycle of life. As described in the “Thanatopsis” everybody who has been manufactured since the existence of the earth goes the same cycle of birth, death, then recycled into the world to guide the life of another into death. With a theory like this one doesn’t it seem wasteful to birth batch after batch of children to just have there turn on the gigantic wheel we call life. However, with every group of children there is new ways of thinking and those thoughts can lead to greatness or tragedies. If you evaluate yourself and the group of people you were apart of you will realize that there are some heretics that you or someone you know affiliated with. The point being, each and every experience of life is different and everybody’s opinion of the meaning to life is different. The different experiences of life is what brings up the main reason to stay and enjoy for your turn to leave the earth with your unique legacy for the next cycle to deal with. This theory of a life cycle in which one is born, eventual death, and then recycled into earth for next generations practically describes a romantic poem. Some characteristics, which make this poem romantic, are Youthful innocence; William Cullen Bryant makes the reader feel young and free of care from important issues by taking the readers interest away from the origin of their issues. By taking people away from their issues Bryant shuns the artificiality of civilization while also contemplating nature as path to spiritual and moral development. Bryant sets a romantic theme of powerful imagination and beautiful nature by using whimsical metaphorical language with good word choice and a powerful mode. Bryant’s youth play a huge part in his views of mortality. Being young and carefree shows that young people have not experienced true purpose of life and for people who believe Bryant’s nihilistic theories cannot and will not find meaning in life. People who believe in Bryant’s romantic poem’s meanings will also view death as something that is a beginning to the next adventure in their life. If Bryant may have written some parts of his poem differently if he were to have written it later in his life, but overall his would still believe in the cycle of life. This poem has had me reevaluate my values and morals of life, but I still know my meaning to life.
ReplyDeleteAdam Warner
ReplyDeleteDo you remember anything before being born? It would be very difficult to think without a brain, right? We’ll experience something very similar after death because we’re going to all die. The ideology behind Thanatopsis tells that everything has a cycle of life and death. Nothing can be immortal except for the process that has giving us the gift of life. People think that death is dark and frigid. Most people have viewed death as something different from life. It is simply the other side of a dynamic coin. It can be seen in both ways, but it all depends on our attitude towards the life and death of the being. Death can be a graceful and beautiful thing when looking through the correct lens. Most people mourn because they feel cheated by death itself. We’ve associated so many negative things with death in society. If anything, we have been misled by our own intuition. Its impossible to have life without repaying a debt that we’ve borrowed from this earth.
Thanatopsis is one of the most romantic poems written because it give you an outlook on death from natures perspective. It states that death is just another vital process for us to complete our life. It’s also romantic because it shows that everything is following is natural process. He was younger, yet he had ideas that death was just an old youth. If he were to write the same poem 20-50 years from his youthful teen years, he would have seen more people die around him. Thanatopsis would have been drastically different because his ideas of death would have progressed further. He might not be afraid of death towards his middle years, but he would’ve been more thoughtful of not being alive much longer.
The main theme surrounding “Thanatopsis” by William Cullen Bryant is death. From the title to the last line of the poem screams death all over. He’s imparts that at one point everyone will die and death isn’t a thing to be afraid of.Some of the characteristics make this poem romantic is based on a few things. One it captured on the supernatural like for example on the first line that says To him who in the love of Nature holds Communion with her visible forms, she speaks (1-2). She being Mother nature in which she enchants you with her voice even if you do not see her visible form. Another is the play on emotions. It captivates the reader to be less worried about dying because you will transform and how it should be the last thing on their mind.
ReplyDeleteI believe that his youth plays a part in how he views mortality because it is the fact that he is young. I would compare his views on his poem to the except of Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson and because the youthfulness represents the innocence of how they can view the world as a big place with an open mind with many different kinds of possibilities. If he were to write this poem 20-50 years later he would probably write it in a more mature/critical thinking “reasonable” on how everyone will die and life is the end with no possibility of being transformed type of way. That youthful innocence gains power in believing that we have a second chance of being something useful to this world.
Marielle Lopez
ReplyDeleteThe main theme of "Thanatopsis" would be the fact that death in something unavoidable, and that when it reaches our time, we shall merge into a rebirth and transform into nature. William Cullen Bryant tries to persuade the reader into think that nobody ever really dies, but that they simply evolve to become one with the earth.
The romanticism of "Thanatopsis" can be perceived in a numerous amount of ways. The author starts the poem with a mood and sets the image of nature. He describes nature using personification, addressing it as 'her', and exemplifying how nature can be seen to mock a person's feelings. Bryant acknowledges the view of wisdom and individualism by employing the use of thought provokers to allow the reader to realize that all of the descendants of the past are still part of the world today, and that they have participated in the way of life. He also uses hoards of imagination to exemplify the natural beauty by incorporating the ideas of past kings and astronomy. Since he wrote this at the age of 16, his youthful views of life can be assumed as most teenagers have an expansive imagination which allows them to feel impregnable.
Since Bryan wrote this poem at a young age, I believe that his youth highly influenced his feelings towards mortality. Although this was written back in the 1800s when times were much simpler, I think Bryan still had the same attitude towards life as modern teenagers do today. Most teenagers tend to live in the moment, and they believe that they are impregnable. If Bryan were to write this poem 20-30 years later than he originally had, he would probably have a broader sense of imagination than when he was a teenager. He'd still be optimistic about death as he knew that it happens to everyone, but after experiencing life (having a job and family) he probably wouldn't have even considered that there is still meaning to his body after death.
I believe that the main theme or philosophy surrounding “Thanatopsis” is the idea that life is a cycle that we all go through and that death is a fate that we all share. It also includes the concept that when a person dies, he is reborn or becomes a part of nature. William Cullen Bryant starts his poem off by saying how nature can sometimes be a source of comfort to us and that we should go outside more to experience what nature has to offer us. He talks about how when we die, we won’t be alone because we’ll end up joining the people that were on this earth before us He also tells about if we begin to notice nature, we’ll find that it has a lot of lessons to teach us. The poem tells us that we should fear death as it is part of nature’s plan for all of us because that is the one unifying fate we all eventually will reach.
ReplyDeleteI think Bryant’s youth plays a part on his views on mortality. He knows that there are unlimited possibilities in the world and has time to contemplate what happens to us after we die and that might’ve been where he got the theory of thanatopsis. I believe that if he were to have written this piece of literature 20-50 years later, he might’ve had a more serious and strict and more specific tone on his views of life and afterlife. He might’ve had a better idea of what to make of the things he’s learned up until then and formed a more secure idea of his emotions on the topic.
Aaron Gaona
ReplyDeleteThe main theme of Thanatopsis by William Cullen Bryant is death and how death impacts us. He talks about how nature not only is a part of us be we are a part of it and that even if we tried we couldn't change the fact that we will become part of nature. He states that death is inevitable but that we can change our perception on death and not view it as something negative but as something more positive and something that benefits everybody everywhere. the characteristics that the poem has that makes it romantic are how nature speaks to us and is more that just wood or greens and that it is spiritual, also that he explains that when you die it doesn't matter how rich or poor you are because you end up the same and you end up in the same place. This is a romantic poem because it contemplates natures beauty as a path to spiritual and moral development. I think that the age he was when he wrote the poem gave him a view of seeing death then if he was older because he wouldn't have the same perception of it. j think he wrote this poem in search of relieving the scares of death and wanting to get the point across that just because you die you don't just die but that you serve a purpose and you have a higher meaning in life. I think twenty or fifty years later he would still have the same idea on death and where it leads you but he would know more about the topic through personal experience and he would be even more wise than he was when he was young.
Fiona Gee
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Thanatopsis revolves around the theme/philosophy of death being inevitable no matter what. The cycle of life & death is forever continuous. We are born into this earth; we leave and become one with the world that surrounds us. A huge emphasis is also placed on the natural beauty of nature and the way it is so essential to life on earth. William Cullen Bryant describes death as if it were a friend to be welcomed into open arms. He does not see it as the horrifying gloom to the deadline of life, but as a phase to the return of nature. He also stresses over the point of how death is our greatest equalizer; it eliminates all the factors that once set us apart, including our race, religion, skin color, social class, and age. We are advised to live our life without regret, and to look at death without fear because death is just a continuity of life.
The poem "Thanatopsis" resembles a romantic poem in many ways. Bryant repeatedly implies that when we die, we are returned to nature, and that corresponds to more than one characteristics which include: Searching for more exotic settings and the natural world; reflects on natures beauty as a path to spiritual and moral development and prefers life in nature. Another characteristic expressed in this poem is innocence and pure of purpose, like when he describes death as easy as lying down and going to sleep. Bryant wrote this poem around the age of 17 which I think played an important role in his perspective of life due in part to the fact that the younger you are, the more innocence your soul has.
If this poem were written in his later years, I believe that his views on death would have been dramatically different. With age comes wisdom and maturity, and he would have experienced so many more instances that could change his opinions and views on death.
Kelly Fung-3
ReplyDeleteThe theme of Thanatopsis is the message of death. Death is not the end of a life, but a start to a new one. This cycle of life and death is the basis of nature on earth. As being part of the earth, people go through this cycle also and there are no ways around it, it is inevitable. Being age 16, the author argues everyone’s view of death is wrong. Everyone thinks that death is the end to everything, life and hope. But the author states differently; he states that death is the start of a new life, and in every life there is death.
This poem uses poetry as a way of art, a way to express its theme using imagery. This is a characteristic of romanticism. Other characteristic includes the way nature is mentioned in this poem. In this poem, nature is personified giving it a more lively and emotional image. This poem also portrays a youthful or immortal concept. The author states that death is the start of a new life, in other words, the end is the start of something new. So will there ever be an end? According to him, there is no end to life, thus, life is immortal. This has nothing to do with his youth, instead, his view of mortality is just his thought of death and that has nothing to do with age.
If he has written it 20-50 years later, he would have written it differently. As he goes into the real world, he’ll experience things that he never has in his teenage years. And maybe these things will change his thoughts on death or maybe his definition of death might be different. Death doesn't have to be the death of a person; it can also be the death of hope or an idea. And maybe he might incorporate that into his poem which makes the theme and the type of poem different.
Robin Alarcon
ReplyDeletethe theme of Thanatopsis is about Death. its explaining that people come and go and will face death at some point. so we shouldn't be so afraid or try to avoid it but instead embrace it and try to prepare it. it like our role in this world, to die so then later on we can be reborn . some characteristics that make this poem romantic is the connection with mother nature along with her connection with people. the poem explains death resting in her hands. mother nature also represents imagination. a huge thing that makes this poem very romantic is the use of common people. in the poem its referring that when a common man dies, it's the same when someone of a higher class dies.
youth definitely plays a huge part in how he views mortality by the fact that he believes there's endless possibilities and that the age he composed this is the age when people are at the highest point of using imagination but also the age where we are usually the most curious about everything. if Bryant had written this poem 20 years later I'm sure he would of had created a better tone and theme to the poem. he would have experienced and learned more about death. his poem would actually be more detailed and use better figurative language
Diana Carabajal
ReplyDeleteI think that the main theme and philosophy of the Thanatopsis is death. I think death is the theme because the whole poem talks about death and how death is. The characteristics that make it romantic is the way that it talks about death. It expresses death as being nature. It compares death with nature and says how a persons life comes from nature when the life has just begun and ends going into nature as well. I do believe that youth plays a role in how he views death because he is only reflection on what he knows. He was young when he wrote it and probably hadn't had a lot of experience in his life to really talk ore about it. I think that if had wrote it 20-50 years after he had written it with more experience on life and reflecting more on how death would be different.
Meryl Cantoria
ReplyDeleteThe main theme or philosophy behind "Thanatopsis" is that death is only part of a human cycle that we shouldn't fear of. A person experiences rebirth through nature. The soil eats the dead, we use the soil to grow and to live on and the cycle is inevitably constant. Although death is unavoidable, we shouldn't be afraid of it because everyone is the same. All of us has the same origin because everyone experiences the same natural cycle. A cycle that lets nature live within us and us to live within nature. William Cullen Bryant's poem states that we don't die alone because we are still part of nature and how everyone experiences the same cycle.
"Thanatopsis" is romantic in a way that it avoids civilization's artificial form of nature and instead seeks a deeper meaning in it. Most of us identifies nature as just natural living and non-living things. In Bryan't poem, it provides the depth of nature's beauty as a path to spiritual and moral development by stating that one shouldn't be afraid to face death. As a seventeen year old, William Cullen Bryant's youth plays a part in how he views in mortality. I believe that his innocence and curiosity kept him wondering about death until he came up with a clear conclusion. The younger the person is, the stronger their curiosity is because they aren't as experienced as adults. 20-50 years later, I believe that William Bryant won't manifest the same thoughts that he has now. He would have encountered a lot of experiences and won't have the same view towards nature and death.