Thanatopsis

The story the "Thanatopsis" by William Cullen Bryant is about life and death in my opinion. It can be taken as a warning or even a threat about death depending on how you perceive the poem but I do not see it this way. I see it as more of a calling to accept life and death the same because they are both inevitable. "So shalt thou rest; and what if thou withdraw; In silence from the living, and no friend;Take note of thy departure? All that breathe; Will share thy destiny." (Lounsbury) This quote displays what I was emphasizing on above that death and life is inevitable. When it says "all that breathe will share the same destiny", meaning all that are living will die no matter what. The part before that talking of withdrawing and being silent to me means how one lived their life. Specifically if one lived their life in a somewhat social way and had people around them who cared in their time of dieing and after being put to rest. This is one reason why I disagree that it is a threat of death because I don't believe it is a way of making someone fear death. I think this poem is more about fearing how one has lived their life before their time to leave this world has arrived. "Their sharpness, ere he is aware.When thoughts; Of the last bitter hour come like a blight; Over thy spirit, and sad images; Of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall,; And breathless darkness, and the narrow house,; Make thee to shudder, and grow sick at heart" (Lounsbury) The quote displays what I was saying on how one is fearing how they have lived their life when death is approaching. It ways "sad images; of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall", to me this is referring to one reflecting on their own life and seeing things that are painful and one wishes would not have happened. It then says "and grow sick at heart" which means they were truly saddened on the events they were remembering and wish they could take them back. This to me shows that the poem is more of a warning on how you are living your life and how important it is to live a full life than it is saying that we should fear death. Death is not something that someone needs to fear because it is inevitable. It think this poem displays that very well because it shows how death happens. In a way it gives a glorious outlook. Although many people seem to see it as a warning that death is coming to be afraid of it, I think they are skewed away from the real purpose. That purpose IS a warning, but not about death at all! It is about the life that we are all living now and BEFORE our death even comes. His wisdom tells us to live life to the fullest because we should be afraid of leaving this world not making the best of life.

Lounsbury, Thomas R., ed. Yale Book of American Verse. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1912; Bartleby.com, 1999. www.bartleby.com/102/. [November 27,2011].