Thanatopsis

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William Cullen Bryant

 * The Authors Purpose:**

The Authors purpose in Thanatopsis is to express his thoughts on death and how the human race relates to nature. He constantly repeates the idea that humans came from the earth and that is where they are destined to end up.

"Earth, that nourished thee, shall claim thy growth, to be resolved to earth again, and, lost each human trace, surrendering up thine individual being, shalt thou go to mix forever with the elements, to be a brother to the insensible rock..."

Thanatopsis actuall means thoughts on death, so it is appropriate that the author use to poem to convey his own personal thoughts. He expresses his idea that nature is the leading forse on Earth, and that in the end it all comes back to the base of our world. Bryant views nature as a peaceful and powerful force that connects everything on this planet, and because he believes this he thinks that one day nature will be the leading force on Earth. [|]


 * [[image:http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:X82Y7G5YNsecvM:http://www.3d-screensaver-downloads.com/images/free-nature-screensaver/big3.jpg width="137" height="103" link="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.3d-screensaver-downloads.com/images/free-nature-screensaver/big3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.3d-screensaver-downloads.com/free-nature-screensaver.php&h=480&w=640&sz=79&hl=en&start=2&tbnid=X82Y7G5YNsecvM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnature%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D"]] || [[image:http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:w8zCshYnczpnYM:http://lynx.uio.no/jon/gif/nature/forest.jpg width="143" height="107" link="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://lynx.uio.no/jon/gif/nature/forest.jpg&imgrefurl=http://lynx.uio.no/jon/gif/nature/&h=600&w=800&sz=192&hl=en&start=8&tbnid=w8zCshYnczpnYM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=143&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnature%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D"]] || [[image:http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:HvWnEPwxUSIX9M:http://www.free-nature-animal-butterfly-wallpaper.com/wallpapers/Seabeck.jpg width="152" height="112" link="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.free-nature-animal-butterfly-wallpaper.com/wallpapers/Seabeck.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.free-nature-animal-butterfly-wallpaper.com/&h=768&w=1024&sz=78&hl=en&start=5&tbnid=HvWnEPwxUSIX9M:&tbnh=113&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnature%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D"]] || [[image:http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:Gw-_MLBhAucVuM:http://www.palmyria.co.uk/nature/sunset_250.jpg width="156" height="111" link="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.palmyria.co.uk/nature/sunset_250.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.palmyria.co.uk/nature/nature.htm&h=864&w=1536&sz=155&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=Gw-_MLBhAucVuM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnature%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D"]] || [[image:http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:mPnu1z_LrsrkLM:http://www.kshs.org/news/pressroom/images/nature.jpg width="121" height="119" link="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.kshs.org/news/pressroom/images/nature.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.kshs.org/news/pressroom/images/index.htm&h=1494&w=987&sz=2064&hl=en&start=7&tbnid=mPnu1z_LrsrkLM:&tbnh=150&tbnw=99&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnature%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D"]] || [[image:http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:EntJcOJ-OKCC1M:http://www.3d-screensaver-downloads.com/images/free-nature-screensaver/big2.jpg width="139" height="110" link="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.3d-screensaver-downloads.com/images/free-nature-screensaver/big2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.3d-screensaver-downloads.com/free-nature-screensaver.php&h=480&w=640&sz=56&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=EntJcOJ-OKCC1M:&tbnh=103&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnature%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D"]] || [[image:http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:SI0E0oLhbHOhzM:http://goodfelloweb.com/nature/images/vortex.jpg width="127" height="88" link="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://goodfelloweb.com/nature/images/vortex.jpg&imgrefurl=http://goodfelloweb.com/nature/&h=312&w=450&sz=82&hl=en&start=9&tbnid=SI0E0oLhbHOhzM:&tbnh=88&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnature%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D"]] ||

Theme:
Thanatopsis has a very unique theme. It deals with how man relates to nature, and more specifically where humans exist. The poem is of a man dying peacefully, back to where life all began. The calm nature of the writing is due to the scenery being expressed so vividly and lively. The author, Bryant, seems to believe that nature is the supreme force on our planet. He talks of how man comes from nature, and of how eventually nature will rise up and take what is rightfully its. Hence, to complete the cycle, the main character of the writing dies where Bryant believes life all began. It is almost like the character was making a pilgrimage. As if he knew he was to die, and tried to complete a journey to where he knew he could die in peace. The main theme thereof of Bryant's piece is that death can be a peaceful and romantic thing.

[|The Text]