The following version of this poem was used to create this guide: Cullen Bryant, William. “Thanatopsis.” New Anthology of American Poetry: (Volume I) Traditions and Revolution, Beginnings to 1900, edited by Steven Gould Axelrod, Camille Roman, and Thomas Travisano, Rutgers University Press, 2003, p. 164-165.

Note that the parenthetical citations throughout this guide refer to the line numbers of the poem (1-82) from which the quotations are drawn.

“Thanatopsis” was first published in 1817 and then republished in 1821. It is one of the earlier works of the poet William Cullen Bryant. Derived from Greek, “thanatopsis” refers to a meditation on death.

The poem is an extended exaltation of the majesty of the natural world. In Bryant’s verse, nature contextualizes human life and its expiration, offering solace to the human mind wracked by fears of mortality. The imagery that Bryant traffics is both resplendent and naturalistic, invoking a timelessness in human experience and promoting a kinship with the natural world. The poem ultimately encourages its readers to live in such a way that they will no longer be frightened by death but instead approach it with acceptance, tranquility, and peace.