1794-1878

1. William Cullen Bryant 1794-1878

2. Biography • Born in Cummington, Massachusetts • Began writing at an early age; translated poems written in Latin at age 10 • Published “The Embargo,” a poem satirizing the policies of President Jefferson at age 13 • Bryant mostly wrote about the natural world • His early works reflected English romantic poets, but with time he developed his own American voice

3. Biography, cont’d • Wrote “Thanatopsis,” a poem inspired by his wonderings in the countryside, at age 18 • Was a lawyer for 10 years, before leaving that career to pursue a life of writing as a journalist where he used his position as editor-in-chief to become an activist for human rights and protection of the environment

4. Random Fun Facts William Cullen Bryant… • had been known to walk 40 miles in one day. • could say the alphabet at 16 months of age. • helped found the Republican Party. • was an early abolitionist and staunch supporter of Abraham Lincoln.

5. Need to Know • Blank verse is unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter. • Good blank verse, and iambic pentameter in general, imitates the natural rhythms of spoken English (it sounds like the way people just naturally talk). • In addition to blank verse, Bryant uses enjambment to achieve this natural sounding speech in his poem, “Thanatopsis.” • Enjambment occurs when one line ends without a pause and continues into the next line for its meaning.

6. Confused yet? Don’t worry! It sounds much harder than it actually is. 

7. Ever heard of a syllable? A syllable is a unit of sound. Each word is made up of units of sound. Let’s take the word “sound,” it has one syllable. Clap your hands while you say the word “sound.” Did you hear it? One unit. That’s it. Try figuring out how many syllables the following words have. Frog Apple Indestructible Coffee Time Iridescent Lonely Smile Simile Metaphor Syllables

8. Frog Apple Indestructible Coffee Time Iridescent Lonely Smile Simile Metaphor 1 syllable 2 syllables 5 syllables 2 syllables 1 syllable 4 syllables 2 syllables 1 syllable 3 syllables 3 syllables How did you do?

9. Meter • Syllables will be either stressed ( ‘ ) or unstressed (U); this refers to the emphasis placed on the unit of sound. • A foot is a unit of measurement in meter. It consists of two syllables in any order- this means the two syllables could be unstressed and then stressed, two stressed, two unstressed, or a stressed and then an unstressed.

10. Meter • An iamb is a unit of measurement in meter that is equivalent to a foot, but an iamb has a specific order: unstressed, stressed. • When we are discussing meter, pentameter means there are 5 feet in the line. • If we have iambic pentameter, then we know that there will be 10 syllables in the line in the exact pattern of unstressed, stressed.

11. “Thanatopsis” • The title of the poem combines the Greek words thanatos (death) and opsis (a vision) • The poem is a poetic reflection on death. • The poem begins with a statement of the consolation and “healing sympathy” that Nature provides.

12. The poet then suggests how to accept the mortality that all humans share and to face death without fear, “sustained and soothed by unfaltering trust… like one who…lies down to pleasant dreams.”

13. Enjambment occurs in lines: • 1-2(“holds/Communion”) • 2-3 (“speaks/A various language”) • 3-4 (“for his gayer hours/She has”) • 4-5(“a smile /And eloquence”) • 5-6(“glides/Into”) • 6-7 (“a mild/ And healing sympathy”) • 7-8 (“steals away/ Their sharpness”)

14. The central idea of the first section (lines 1-30) of the poem is that all people die and their remains return to earth to become part of the whole of nature.

15. The central idea of the second section of the poem (lines 31-72) emphasizes that we will not be alone in death, but rather we will join those who have already died, and become one with them and nature.

16. The central idea of the last section (lines 73-81) is that you should live life fully while you can, but when the time comes for you to join all those who have died before you, you can meet death serenely, like a person who is about to settle down to a peaceful sleep.

17. Review • According to the speaker, how does nature help people cope during times of sadness? Nature soothes and comforts people during times of sadness.

18. 2. According to lines 22-30, what happens to people when they die? When people die, their bodies mix with the earth’s elements. The poem says that they return to the earth that nourished them.

19. 3. Why, according to the speaker, should people greet death without fear? People need not fear death, because they will not be alone; rather, they will be joining all those who have died before.

20. 4.The title of the poem combines the Greek words thanatos (death) and opsis (a vision). Cite specific details from the poem to explain the vision of death presented in “Thanatopsis.” - Death is viewed as a natural part of life (lines 22-30). It is not frightening or lonely (lines 31-37;66-72), but rather welcoming and peaceful (lines 79-81).

21. Use details from the poem to determine what lessons Bryant conveys about -life -nature - religion. How do these apply to you today? 6. The first version of the poem did not include lines 73-81. How might the message of this poem change without those lines?