"Thanatopsis" by William Cullen Bryant (poetry reading)

Thanatopsis means thinking about death. Bryant wrote most of this poem when he was 17.

Some people consider this an American masterpiece. So, for those people who like this sort of thing, here it is.

From beginning to end it's a prime example of what Ruskin called "The Pathetic Fallacy" that in his opinion was the hallmark of the inferior poet.

In The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris, Clarice tells Hannibal Lecter that the last lines were read to her dying father.

It has been said that if you read a poem and think - that's what I always thought, I totally agree with this poet - then it's not so great. Great work is that which takes you aback, make you realise there are things you never knew or felt before, that changes you forever.and becomes a part of you.

This poem has been called "hogwash" by critics, but that's a little too harsh.. It's true that there are no real revelations here: it's trite and wrong, but for a 17 year year old, it's pretty good.

Bryant had mistaken views about an ancient civilisation in America: here he says "All that tread the globe are but a handful to the tribes that slumber in its bosom". Estimates say dead outnumber the living by about ten to one, at one time it was thought ot be about thirty to one, but estimates are declining - so he was wrong about that too.

The painting is "Scene from Thanatopsis" 1850 by Asher B. Durand.

For something better on the same subject, completely contrary to Thanatopsis, this is from "Lavengro" by George Borrow, an autobiographical novel about his life with the Gypsies - in case you need a breath of fresh air after that hogwash:

I now wandered along the heath until I came to a place where, beside a thick furse, sat a man, his eyes fixed intently on the red ball of the setting sun.

Thats not you, Jasper?

Indeed, brother.

Ive not seen you for years.

How should you, brother?

What is your opinion of death, Mr. Petulengro, said I, as I sat down beside him.

"My opinion of death, brother, is when a man dies, he is cast into the earth, and his wife and child sorrow over him. If he has neither wife nor child, then his father and mother, I suppose; and if he is quite alone in the world, why, then, he is cast into the earth, and that is an end of the matter."

"And do you think that is the end of man?"

"There's an end of him, brother, more's the pity."

"Why do you say so?"

"Life is sweet."

"Do you think so?"

"Think so! - There's night and day, brother, both sweet things; sun, moon, and stars, brother, all sweet things; there's likewise a wind on the heath. Life is very sweet, brother; who would wish to die?"

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[TheLogicJunkie]

It's a nice reading, but the reader messed up the third line in the final nine lines of the poem, which are the most important.

[SpokenVerse]

@TheLogicJunkie It seems that missed out the "to" - is that what you mean?

[eclectorsdevices]

My grandfather would recite this in his 90's. It is in his 5th reader (Nova Scotia, 1880's). Another fine Bryant - "The Groves were God's first temples. Ere man learned to hew the shaft, and lay the architrave, and spread the roof above him ... " - The Forest Hymn

[ernestotorres1977]

I thought I hated poetry ! That was Wonderful ! I'm memorizing that. I actually created a wow character named Thanatopsi, this fits the undead and death knight groove very well. Live forever or die trying. Peace Yall !

[rbc122]

So live...



[TheLogicJunkie]

@SpokenVerse Not entirely -- the narrator says "THAT EACH mysterious realm, where each...", instead of the proper "To that mysterious realm, where each..."

Do you see now? The text is correct, but those two spoken words are not.

[mre2u2]

This is one of my ancestors. (As was Samuel Clemens)

[belzondium]

As far as rhetorical poems go, I find this one fairly good. It has no designs on me (or none that are problematic) and is frank and honest. There are similar passages in Shakespeare - Vincentio's 'Reason thus with life' speech in Measure for Measure, for example. If the only fault of the poem is that it's not empirically accurate about the number of deceased individuals in North America, then I'd say it's meets an respectable standard. The pleasure of the poem is in its grandeur.

[canadianperson]

And I should note opinion comes both as literary scholar and also as an optometrist and vision scientist. 

[canadianperson]

Just an editor's note: Thanatopsis means "Sight of Death" or "Vision of Death" coming from the greek "Thanatos" (Death( and "-opsis" (sight). While often it is translated in English as Meditation upon Death, I think it is pertinent to consider this idea of sight and vision of death to achieve a better and dare I say "authentic" reading and interpretation of Bryant's words and meaning.

[bigbear6161]

I like the quick pace of your reading here. This poem I think is one of the best early American poems. You sense a ring of Horace to it, at least I do. The last few lines also foreshadow Dylan Thomas' Do not go gently into the dark night. The technical virtuosity of the verse humbles me and reminds me how powerful blank verse can be. Thank you for this rendition.