Thanatopsis
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Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust: An Outlook on Death as Illustrated in Thanatopsis
In “Thanatopsis”, William Cullen Bryant describes death as a natural part of life and suggests that one should not fear death. In Albert McLeans book William Cullen Bryant, he refers to death as an “ordinary course of human life” (p. 79). Bryant suggests that when one dies and is buried, they return to the earth that nourished them throughout their life, hence, death is part of a natural order. Bryants “Thanatopsis” attempts to illustrate the correlation between death and the never-ending natural order of life. “Thanatopsis” shows Bryants unorthodox beliefs and thoughts on the subject of death. Most people fear death but Bryant speaks of death with calmness and suggests to the reader to think of death as a rest.
Translated from Greek, “Thanatopsis” means a meditation or view on death. “Thanatopsis” includes both human and natural solace on the topic of death, both of which are meant to calm man as he comes nearer his own death. The subject matter addressed in “Thanatopsis” is not what happens to the body or soul when one dies but instead, what happens to the human mind when one is approaching death. In his biography of William Cullen Bryant, Charles H. Brown states the following about Bryants alleged beliefs on Christianity: “Thanatopsis was not written to deny the consolations of religion but to appeal to the rational man” (p. 104). Bryant abandoned the existing views Christians at that time had about death, and as an alternative, described death as a link between man and nature.
“Thanatopsis” reassures the reader that they will not be alone in death: “Yet not to thin eternal resting-place shalt thou retire alone” (32-33). This is a comforting fact to the reader because they will not be alone when they are buried and returned to the earth. People fear being alone, and with the great unknown, death, at hand, this verse reassures the reader that they will not be alone.
“Thanatopsis” also diminishes social classes because death is the great equalizer, a great melting pot of different classes, races, and cultures. In lines 34-38 the idea of diminishing social classes is shown:
Thou Shalt lie down
With patriarchs of the infant world — with kings,
The powerful of the earth — the wise, the good,
Fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past,
All in one mighty sepulcher”.
In death, everyone is in one big grave, regardless of race, class, age, or social class. This is consoling to the reader because not only will they not be alone when they die and are returned to the earth but there are no prejudices or ruling monarchs in death. Bryant also makes reference to future generations that will join man in death in lines 67-73:
As the long train
Of ages glides away, the sons of men,
The youth in lifes fresh spring, and he who goes
In the full strength of years, matron and maid,
The speechless babe, and the gray-headed man —
Shall one by one be gathered to thy side,
By those, who in their turn shall follow them.
Bryant reminds the reader that they will be joined in death by past and future generations and that everyone dies, its the natural order of life.
“Thanatopsis” was revised many times by Bryant. According to Bryant, the first version of “Thanatopsis” was written around 1815. The poem was first published in 1817 in the September issue of the North American Review. After being published, Bryant revised “Thanatopsis” on two occasions, between 1818 to1820. Albert McLean explains in his book, William Cullen Bryant, that the first revision made “attempted to introduce Thanatopsis in such a way that the consolations for death emanated from a single identified source” (p. 73). The second revision Bryant made to “Thanatopsis” was concerned with line 16: “While