Transcript Review of Literary Periods, Romanticism Notes

English 3
January 5-9, 2015
Notes for Tuesday, January 6, 2015

1. Take the seat you were assigned to sit in during Semester 1; new seating
chart on Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Every day copy the Agenda with the Objective (4 minutes)

Every day you will write a Journal Response (5 minutes)
Agenda for Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Review daily activities. Objective: To establish a daily routine.

Copy the Agenda with the Objective (4 minutes). Objective: To ensure
students know what will occur during the class.

Write a Journal Response (5 minutes). Objective: To write routinely over an
extended period of time for a variety of audiences and purposes.

Today: Respond to these questions: What do I consider a good grade in this
class? How will I ensure that I earn this grade?

Review of Early American Literary Periods and their characteristics.
Objective: CCRL-9: Demonstrate knowledge of foundational works of
American Literature and how two or more texts from the same period treat
similar themes or topics. I can identify the genres, historical backgrounds,
characteristics and authors of each literary period.
Essential Question:

How does literature shape or reflect the society
in which it was writing?

How is a period of literature a response to the
culture/history of that period?

How is a period of literature a response to the
previous period?

What themes/ideas transcend time and culture?

What are the key concepts, values, and literary
forms of the various periods?
Native American Literature
Beginnings to Present
Focus: Pre-1600s and European Contact
Native American Literature

Genres: Myths, legends, oral histories, trickster tales, creation
stories, songs and prayers.

Characteristics: Oral Tradition – handed down from generation to
generation.
1. Shared common values and beliefs
2. Emphasis on nature and one’s spiritual connection to it.
(Relatives to all nature.)
3. Explained tribal life
4. Explained concepts not understood with familiar elements
5. Continues the history of the people
6. Reveals environmental hardships and triumphs over the
hardships
7. Teaches about good and bad choices, people, etc.
8. Ensures social justice
Native American Literature

Historical background: Native Americans roam freely and
explore and exist as one with nature. At first, the Native
Americans freely shared their knowledge with the
Europeans. But changes occur when Europeans arrive:
disease (small pox, chicken pox, etc.), loss
of freedom (boarding schools &
reservations), loss of culture (Christianity,
missions, & boarding schools)

Examples: “When Grizzlies Walked Upright”, “The Earth
on Turtle’s Back”, The Iroquois Constitution
Puritan
Puritan Literature
1600s-1800s
Age of Faith

Genre: primer, sermons, diaries, personal
narratives

Characteristics: biblical content, didactic
(teaching) about God, love for others, grace,
salvation, avoiding world pleasures and material
things, belief about pre-determination, and
damnation.
Puritan Literature
1600s-1800s

Historical Background: There was no separation
of church and state in any secular matter;
Puritans compared themselves to the chosen tribe
of Israel and saw this new world as an opportunity
to become a beacon to the world; Salem Witch
Trials.

Examples: William Bradford – Of Plymouth
Plantation; John Winthrop – A Model of Christian
Charity; Jonathan Edwards – “Sinners in the Hands
of An Angry God”; Anne Bradstreet’s poetry
Southern Planters
Southern Planters

The Southern Colonies differed in four major
ways:
1. Climate
2. Crops
3. Social Organization
4. Religion

Genres: Journals, Narratives, Satires, Dramas

Characteristics: Practical writing; scientific and
analytical; immodest, quick-witted, and satirical
Southern Planters

Background: Slavery produced business oriented
documents of transactions; satirical wit used to
barb their northern counterparts; enjoyed many
hobbies and interests such as literature, music,
art, and politics.

Examples: William Byrd, “History of the Dividing
Line”
Age of Reason
1700-1800
Age of Reason
1700-1800
Genre: journals, histories, political writings,
speeches, letters, essay, persuasive writing
 Characteristics: Emphasis on logic and rational
thought, not emotions and on the social/good of
the community, not the individual; presence of
numerous classical allusions; use of satire; use of
elevated diction and decorous language; formal
style that adhered to set rhyme schemes, such as
couplets; use of the classics

Age of Reason
1700-1800

Historical Background: issues with the English king
and Parliament, conflict grows into war.

Examples: Benjamin Franklin – “The Autobiography of
Benjamin Franklin” and Poor Richard’s Almanac;
Thomas Jefferson – The Declaration of Independence;
Thomas Paine – “American Crisis, No. 1” and Common
Sense; Patrick Henry – “Speech to the Virginia
Convention”; Olaudah Equiano – The Interesting
Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano
Looking ahead at the Second Semester
Romantic Writing
 Transcendental
 Gothic
 Realism
 Naturalism
 Regionalism
 Modernism
 Harlem Renaissance
 Post Modernism
 Contemporary

Homework
 READ
in PEARSON TEXTBOOK
Pay attention to the visuals! Quiz tomorrow?
 Read
pages 210-221 Period 2
 Read
210-221 Period 3
 Pages
 Pages
210-221 Period 5
210-213** RSP students;
Agenda for Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Write a Journal Response (5 minutes). Objective: To write routinely over an
extended period of time for a variety of audiences and purposes.

Today: Respond to these questions: Are people naturally good or are people
naturally bad? Why?

Wednesday Words: (15 minutes) Activity: Copy the five SAT Vocabulary
Words including the definition, synonym, antonym and the sentence.
Objective: CCL-4: Vocabulary Acquisition: Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown or multiple meaning words or phrases; consult general or specialized
reference materials to clarify its precise meaning or its standard usage. I can
use reference materials to determine the meaning of a word.

Introduce Romanticism. Activity: Cornell Notes: Guided Notes. Objective:
CCRL-9: Demonstrate knowledge of foundational works of American
Literature and how two or more texts from the same period treat similar
themes or topics. I can identify the genres, historical backgrounds,
characteristics and authors of each literary period.
Essential Questions
 What
were the values of the
Romantics, and how did these values
affect the American imagination?
 Who were the Transcendentalists, and
how do their beliefs still influence
American life?
 What darker side of human life was
recognized by some major American
Romantics?
Romanticism
1820-1860
Romanticism
1820-1860

Genres: slave narratives, poetry, short stories,
personal character sketches, biographies, and gothic
literature

Characteristics: 5 I’s (intuition, inspiration,
individuality, imagination, individualism); gender
roles and responsibilities are identified and reified;
emphasis on nature and solitude; rethinking the
past; individuality stressed, heroes are
misunderstood
Romanticism
1820-1860

Historical Background: debates on slavery, industrial
revolution (1820); publishing expanded, War of 1812,
growing hostility between Northern and Southern
states.

Examples: Washington Irving – “The Legend of
Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle”; William
Cullen Bryant – “Thanatopsis”; Edgar Allen Poe –
“The Masque of the Red Death”; Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow – “Cross of Snow”; Ralph Waldo Emerson
–Nature and Self-Reliance; Henry David Thoreau –
Walden; Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman poetry
Transcendentalism
1830s
Characteristics of Transcendentalists:
•They revered nature and its relationship to
humanity.
•They had a philosophy of individualism, simplicity,
and passive resistance to injustice.
•Many maintained a positive, optimistic, or rosy
view of life.
•They focused their attention on the human spirit.
Part of Romantics - Transcendentalist

Literature of the
Transcendentalist
Movement:

Shifting Centers: In order to
understand the ultimate reality of
God, the universe, the self, etc,
one must transcend (go beyond)
the everyday human experience of
the human world.
Themes: Belief that the human
spirit is reflected in nature
Belief in human perfectibility
Themes: individualism, simplicity,
anti-materialism
Authors/Poets
 Ralph Waldo Emerson
 Henry David Thoreau
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Dark Romantics or
Anti-Transcendentalists
Elements of Dark Romanticism

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Drafty, old, family houses/castles
Mystery and suspense, finding dark secrets
Supernatural: ghosts, curses, monsters, etc.
Grisly death and macabre murder
Omens, curses, dreams, legends
Extreme emotions of grief, passion, love
Instances of madness and insanity
References wild, dangerous nature
Mood: creepy, doom and gloom, terror
Dark Romantic Heroes
 Conflicted
 Loner
 Misunderstood
by society
 Spiritual
 Talented
 Inspired
or gifted in some way
by creativity and imagination
rather than society norms
Differences Between Transcendentalists and
Dark Romantics
Transcendentalists
Dark Romantics
Saw divine goodness and
beauty beneath everyday
reality
Believed spiritual truths
may be ugly or frightening
Embraced the mystical and
idealistic elements of
Puritan thought
Reintroduced the dark side
of Puritan beliefs: the idea
of Original Sin and the
human potential for evil
Similarities Between
Transcendentalists and Dark Romantics
Transcendentalists
Dark Romantics
True reality is spiritual.
Intuition is superior to
logic or reason.
Human events contain
signs and symbols of
spiritual truths.
“Thanatopsis”
What do you think this title means?
 Follow along and listen to the poem.
 What do you think is the speaker’s subject?


Librivox performance
http://ia801402.us.archive.org/32/items/37_americ
an_poems_0908_librivox/37americanpoems_06_brya
nt_64kb.mp3
Homework – due tomorrow January 8, 2015
 READ
in PEARSON TEXTBOOK
Read and Complete TP of the TPCASTT
strategy. What does the title mean?
Paraphrase each “sentence” (to a
punctuation mark).
 Read
pages 261-264 Period 2
 Read
261-264 Period 3
 Pages
261-264 Period 5
 Pages
262-264 ** RSP students;
Agenda for Thursday, January 8, 2015

Write a Journal Response (5 minutes). Objective: To write routinely over an
extended period of time for a variety of audiences and purposes.

Today: Give a descriptive example when your mood reflected your
surroundings or the weather.

Grammar: (15 minutes) Activity: Prepositional Phrases – Cornell Notes.
Objective: CCW-1. Use words phrases and clauses as well as varied syntax to
link the major sections of the text. I can vary syntax in speaking and writing
to create cohesion.

Close Reading Romantic Poetry - “Thanatopsis” Activity: Cornell Notes:
Guided Notes. Objective: CCRL-9: Demonstrate knowledge of foundational
works of American Literature and how two or more texts from the same
period treat similar themes or topics. I can identify the genres, historical
backgrounds, characteristics and authors of each literary period.
PREPOSITIONS
A word that shows a relationship
between a noun or pronoun and
some other word in the sentence.
The baseball player in the white shirt
hit a homerun.
A word that shows a relationship between
a noun or pronoun and some other word
in the sentence.
on her boat
before noon
in a house
during class
near the goat about a goon
under a mouse
without a pass
OBJECT OF THE
PREPOSITION
The noun or pronoun that ends a
prepositional phrase.
The baseball player in the white shirt
hit a homerun.
OBJECT OF THE
PREPOSITION
The noun or pronoun that ends a prepositional
phrase.
on her boat
before noon
in a house
during class
near the goat about a goon
under a mouse
without a pass
Always begins with a
preposition and ends with a
noun or pronoun.
Write sentences for these prepositional phrases:
Modifies a noun or pronoun
It answers the same questions an adjective
would:
Which one? What kind? How many?
The puppy in the shop window
jumped up.
Modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb
It answers the same questions an adverb
would:
Where?
When?
How?
The puppy jumped to the food.
You MUST memorize
the prepositions!
If there is no object of the
preposition (if the preposition
is not part of a phrase), then it
is not a preposition—it is an
adverb.
Prepositional Phrases




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


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

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In the beginning
Before the fall
After the brutal fight
At school
Down the aisle
Across the street
Inside your ear
Outside the house
Between two girls
By chewing
Behind the scenes
On the wooden table
By the sea
Under the couch


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





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
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

Around the bend
Down in the sand trap
Into the dark woods
Against the wind
Near the mouse
Through the tunnel
To school
Like Larry’s uncle
Except my friend
Over the rainbow
Up the rough river
Without a paddle
With anger
Toward the door
The gecko climbed up the wall.
The gecko climbed up.
The gecko climbed up on the wall.
Identify the prepositional phrases and the
objects of the preposition:
1.The paper with the blue border
is floating through the air.
2. Jordan’s eyes sparkle like a
sunny day.
3. With great ease, Michael
jumped up on the table.
v
1.The paper with the blue border
is floating through the air.
2. Jordan’s eyes sparkle like a
sunny day.
3. With great ease, Michael
jumped up on the table.
1.The tadpoles are below the
surface of the pond.
2. I jumped up and Amy jumped
down.
3. Is Taylor near?
4. Erin looked across the bus to
the purple-haired boy.
A sentence can have consecutive prepositional
phrases
1
 In
2
grandma’s attic,
under
the
window,
in
3
a cardboard box between two garbage
4
cans, we found these scary Santa Clauses.
1) Are these prepositional phrase working as adjectives or adverbs?
2) What are the objects of the prepositions?
A prepositional phrase can split the main
subject and verb
All
the puppies, except those
that had been trained, pooped
Notice: commas
everywhere!
1) Is this prepositional phrase
working as an adjective or
adverb?
2) What is the object of the
preposition?
offset the
prepositional
phrase
Think-Pair-Share
Write your answer – Share with partner – Add to your answer

Death is the beginning of loneliness. I agree / disagree
because...

Death is compared to sleep. I agree / disagree because...

The young and the old will have the same fate. I agree /
disagree because...

All mankind should dread death. I agree / disagree because...
“Thanatopsis”: Reading Skill: Inverted
Sentences

William Cullen Bryant often makes use of inversion, a
rearrangement of the usual word order in sentences.

The usual order of words in Standard English
sentences is subject, then verb, and then object:
Reika kicked the ball.

An inverted order might be: The ball Reika kicked.

If you have trouble understanding sentences in the
poem, try rearranging the words.
Literary Elements
 Metaphor:
a comparison of two unlike things
NOT USING the words as, like, than, or
resembles.
~ “Old Ocean's grey and melancholy
waste,-- /Are but the solemn decorations all
/Of the great tomb of man.”
 Personfication: giving human-like qualities
/ attributes to something that is non-human
~ “…Nature holds / Communion with her
visible forms, she speaks /A various
language;” Nature = She (a caring mother).
Literary Elements
 Imagery:
creating a picture in the reader’s
head by appealing to more than 1 of the 5
senses
~ “So shalt thou rest: and what if thou
withdraw / In silence from the living, and no
friend / Take note of thy departure? / All that
breathe / Will share thy destiny.”
~ “And to the sluggish clod, which the rude
swain / Turns with his share, and treads
upon. The oak / Shall send his roots abroad,
and pierce thy mould.”

Literary Elements
Simile: A comparison of 2 unlike things by using the words as,
like, than, or resembles.
~ “Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night, / Scourged by
his dungeon; but, sustain'd and soothed / By an unfaltering
trust, approach thy grave, / Like one who wraps the drapery of
his couch / About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.”

Irony: when the opposite of what is expected happens.
~ “Of ages glides away, the sons of men, / The youth in life's
green 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.”
~The poem has a somber tone, yet encourages one to live
life fully and glorifies death.
“Thanatopsis”

What do you think the title meant?

Follow along as you listen to the poem

Underline words for which you do not know the meaning
William Cullen Bryant
William Cullen Bryant was a Romantic Poet.
 In his time that title did not refer to a person who writes
poetry about love.

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Instead, it referred to a poet who shows an emotional response to
life.
Romantic poets placed feelings above thought.
They valued poetry and rural life above science and the city life.
They believed that studying nature outdoors could bring as much
truth to humans as doing scientific experiments.
“Thanatopsis” is a nature poem in which Bryant presents his view
(opsis, in Greek) of death (thanatos).
“Thanatopsis”: Literary Focus: Theme

The theme of a poem is what the poet is saying
about life.

Usually poets do not state their themes directly.
 Instead,
you have to think about what all the words,
images, and figures of speech say to you.
 The
subject of “Thanatopsis” is what happens to
people when they die.
 What
the poem says about this subject is its theme.
Theme
Subject:
Human Life on Earth &
Earthly Nature
Theme: (author’s opinion on the
subject)
~By living in harmony w/ nature, &
realizing that all must come to an
end, rather than fear it, one can come
to accept death as a restful sleep.
Thanatopsis Means
From
the Greek word:
Thanatos = Death
Suffix: opsis = sight
Often translated as View of
Death
“Thanatopsis”: Poetic Form

The poetic form that Bryant uses for “Thanatopsis” is blank verse.

Do the lines rhyme?

How many syllables are in each line?

What is the stress pattern? Stressed/unstressed or unstressed/stressed?
“Thanatopsis”
Romantic Poem:
~Speaker found his
answers in nature &
through observing
nature
 Poem Form:
~Blank Verse – lines
does not rhyme, but the
lines have same number
of syllables & a regular
rhythm, usually iambic
pentameter!

“Thanatopsis”
 Voice:
~2nd Person (you)
 Speaker:
~Narrator not to be
confused with the
Poet
Mood & Tone
 Mood:
Consoling
 3 Examples from the
poem of the mood:
1. “and eloquence of
Beauty & she glides”
2. “The planets, all the
infinite hosts of
heaven”
3. “All that breathe will
share thy Destiny”
 Tone:
Somber &
Compassionate
 3 Examples from the
poem of the tone:
1. “and eloquence of
Beauty & she glides”
2. “The planets, all the
infinite hosts of
heaven”
3. “All that breathe will
share thy Destiny”
Shifts in the Poem
Poem
shifts from a Somber tone to one
of Comfort at line 73:
~ “So live, that when thy summons
comes to join / The innumerable
caravan which moves”
Homework – due Friday, January 9, 2015
 Period
2, 3, 5
 Grammar
Worksheet with your own five
sentences that contain a prepositional
phrases.
Agenda for Friday, January 9, 2015

Write a Journal Response (5 minutes). Objective: To write routinely over an
extended period of time for a variety of audiences and purposes.

Today: Some people feel that life continues after death; some people believe in
reincarnation in a different life form; still other people believe dead is dead and
nothing exists after death. What is your belief and how would you explain it to
someone who has a different idea?

Grammar: Review of Homework: (10 minutes) Activity: Review of homework;
Objective: CCL-4: Vocabulary Acquisition: Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown or multiple meaning words or phrases; consult general or specialized
reference materials to clarify its precise meaning or its standard usage. I can use
reference materials to determine the meaning of a word.

Close Reading Romantic Poetry - “Thanatopsis” (40 minutes) Activity: JIGSAW
EXPERTS Periods 2 and 5 & STRUCTURED GROUP WORK Period 3. Objective: CCRL9: Demonstrate knowledge of foundational works of American Literature and how
two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics. I can
identify the genres, historical backgrounds, characteristics and authors of each
literary period.
“Thanatopsis”

Bryant first wrote this poem when he was about 17, after reading the British
"graveyard poets" (e.g. Thomas Gray, "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"
and Robert Blair, "The Grave") and William Wordsworth's Lyrical Ballads. In
particular, there are parallels to Wordsworth’s Lucy Poems, especially "A
Slumber Did My Spirit Seal":
“Thanatopsis”
Detailed analysis
 The title Bryant chose for this poem is rather fitting,
being that "thanatopsis" is the contemplation of death. He
begins by telling the reader that if one is in communion
with Nature, then she will give him a message. This
message will tell him how to live his life, and it will be
unique to everyone else who is in communion with Nature.
By receiving this message, he is somewhat connected to
everyone in the world who has also received a message.
“Thanatopsis”

Anyone who is in tune with Nature will be comforted (by
Nature), and each one will be different from the last
person. Later in the first stanza, the poet advises that if
one is down and are fear-ridden, he should go out and
enjoy Nature, who will cause him to realize happiness,
because in the end, all will join Nature in its beauty
through Death.
“Thanatopsis”

The second stanza speaks of the comfort one may hope for in death.
It refers to death as a "couch" that is greater than any other, and it
claims that one will not lie in death alone. The poem reminds the
reader that through death all will be forever connected with the
greatest men of all time around the world. It then describes how
Nature is beautiful with "The hills/ Rock-ribbed and ancient as the
sun..." etc. Then it portrays even the duller parts of the world (Old
Ocean's gray and melancholy waste") as decoration of man's final
resting place. The end of the second stanza ensures the reader that
the dead alone reign supreme in Nature.
“Thanatopsis”

The third and fourth stanzas are much shorter, but carry
the overall message:
The third stanza warns the reader that if he does not live
a full and happy life, no one will notice when he is gone.
They will all live life as if nothing happened. But to avoid
depicting death as a bad thing, Bryant then re-ensures his
audience that even if one's death goes unnoticed, all who
lived that did or did not notice the person's death, will
soon join that person regardless, for all are joined in
death.
“Thanatopsis”

The fourth stanza is intended to end the poem on a
hopeful note, and its purpose is also to drive home the
strongest point in the poem: If one lives life to its fullest,
he may embrace death with comfort and pleasure. He
may die peacefully.
This poem had three main points it wished to make, the
final one being the most important:
1) Live life fully in order to die well and comfortably.
2) In death, all are joined with Nature and with each
other for eternity.
3) This comfort and togetherness in death may only be
obtained through death.
“Thanatopsis”
First written when Bryant was almost 17
 Meaning: Thanatos (death) Opsis (seeing) - The
title presents the poem as a way of looking at
death.
 He added to the poem in 1821. His additions
frame the poem and add an element of human
comfort.


MAIN IDEAS:

When facing death, you should take comfort in nature. The
earth is everyone’s final resting place.

Although you will eventually lose your life, you are destined
to acquire in death the companionship of all other mortals.
MORAL:

Nature’s organic cycle of birth, death, growth and rebirth
affects everyone.
LITERARY ELEMENTS:

Personification: Nature = a kind woman

The poem is an elegy – a poem of mourning

Tone – shifts from being somber to being comforting

Written in an English poetic form – blank verse, unrhymed
iambic (unstressed, stressed) pentameter (5 feet)
˘
́
˘
́
To him who in
˘
́
˘
the love of
́
˘
́
na ture holds
What characteristics make “Thanatopsis”
Romantic literature?
 Focus
on nature – source of inspiration and comfort
 Focus
on feeling and emotion over reason
 Focus
on the individual
JIGSAW EXPERTS

Text for JIGSAW: “Thanatopsis”

REQUIREMENTS for “Expert” Groups:

Complete a line by line paraphrase of the poem.

Make a list of key words that convey the mood of this section of the poem. Identify
the mood. (Write more than one word.)

Employing context clues, infer the definitions of words from the passage that are new
to you. Record these words and their definitions. Then look up the words and record
the dictionary definitions.

Identify figures of speech (metaphor, simile, personification). What does the poet’s
use of figures of speech contribute to the poem’s overall meaning?

Cite examples of the poet’s use of imagery to convey meaning.

What is the tone of this section of the poem?

Identify sound devices (alliteration, assonance, consonance). What is the poet
emphasizing?

State the central theme of this portion of the poem. How is this theme conveyed?

Answer specific questions on the following slides for each set of lines.
Stanza 1- Lines 1 through 17
“Thanatopsis” – Stanza 1 Questions
 Bryant
inverts the opening clause of the
poem. Rephrase it without inversion.
 What
 Who
literary device is used in lines 4-8?
is the speaker?
 What
is the tone?
 What
images of death are included?
 Write
a Summary for Lines 1-17
“Thanatopsis” – Lines 17-57 Questions
 Who
is the speaker?
 According
to lines 25-26, what happens when
you die?
 In
lines 31-37, what response is offered to
those who fear the solitude and indignity of
death?
 Explain
 Write
the literary device used in lines 40-45.
a summary for Lines 17-57.
Thanatopsis” – Lines 58-72 Questions
“In
lines 55-66, what particular
human fear is being addressed?
What comfort does Bryant offer?
Write a summary for Lines 58-72
Thanatopsis” – Lines 73-81
Who
is the speaker?
What is the tone?
Write a summary for Lines 73-81
“Thanatopsis” – Stanza 1 Answers
 Nature speaks to those who
commune/communicate with her/seek her out.
 Personification – Nature is a kind lady
 The poet/the narrator
 Sad, gloomy
 Shroud, pall, narrow house
 The speaker celebrates Nature & reflects upon her
as a mirror that matches his happy moods and is a
comfort when he has dark thoughts. Man should
connect with Nature, listen to her teaching, &
receive her “healing sympathy” when he is
oppressed by thoughts of death.
Thanatopsis” – Lines 17-57 Answers
 Nature
 You return to the Earth - nature
 When you die, you join everyone else who has
died before you – rich/poor, royalty/common,
etc.
 Metaphor – Earth to a tomb; Nature is the
tombstone
 SUMMARY (Lines 17-57):
 Nature
offers a “magnificent couch” adorned
with all the glories of Nature to the man who
faces death. It is shared by kings, the wise &
the good.
“Thanatopsis” – Lines 58-72 Answers
 1. The fear of dying alone and being
forgotten – Everyone will die.
SUMMARY (Lines 58-72):
 Dying
unmourned is not important
because all those who go on oblivious
to the dying man’s departure will
eventually share his fate.
“Thanatopsis” – Lines 73-81 Answers
 1.
The speaker/poet returns.
 2. comforting
SUMMARY Lines 73-81:
 It is important that one live with an
unfaltering trust in Nature so that when
death approaches, he can go to it soothed
and sustained in the knowledge that it is a
part of the natural course of man’s life.
III. “Thanatopsis” Period 3
Questions for discussion
1. What Greek words were combined to make the title?
How do the meanings of these words contribute to the
meaning of the poem?
 ---Thanatos (death) Opsis (seeing).The title presents the
poem as a way of seeing death.
III. “Thanatopsis” Period 3
Questions for discussion
2. Define the following words; consider the context of the
poem: shroud, pall, narrow house, and sepulcher. How do
these words and their meanings impact the meaning of the
poem?
 ---All of these words are associated with death and burial.
This furthers the idea of the poem presenting a way of
looking at death.
III. “Thanatopsis” Period 3
3. Is this a poem about life or is this a poem about death?
Explain your answer.
 Answers will vary and should be supported from text.
4. The tone of this poem shifts. What is the tone in the
first part of the poem? When does the tone shift? What is
the tone after the shift?
 ---The tone in the first part of the poem is forbidding,
stern, final and then shifts to one of comfort.
III. “Thanatopsis” Period 3
5. “Thanatopsis” is an elegy. What is an elegy?
What are the conventions of an elegy? What
elements of “Thanatopsis” meet those
conventions?

---An elegy must move from grief to comfort,
must shift from melancholy and mournful to
soothing and comforting. The poem says we will
not be alone when we die, etc
III. “Thanatopsis” Period 3
6. This poem was written early in the nineteenth century.
The type of landscape art during this time period favored
sweeping panoramas, wild vistas, untamed landscapes,
and views of the sky. Look at Thanatopsis as a visual
description of a painting. What elements of the poem are
like a painting? What images are created in the poem? What
landscape is created? Look at all of the descriptions of
nature, etc.
III. “Thanatopsis” Period 3
7. Thanatopsis is a poem that can be interpreted in several
ways.
How is this poem an example of a historical piece?
 ---It represents part of the view of the time period.
How is this a Romantic poem?

---The speaker hears the voice of nature, turns to nature for comfort. It
presents a William Wordsworth’s nature. The recurring theme of death
seems to be quite constant throughout the genre of Romanticism.
Bryant attempts to make death a comfortable feeling, referring to the
word couch as something you can simply curl up and feel good in.
How is this a Calvinist poem?

---Look at the poem as religious counsel. Many elements of Calvinistic
beliefs are present.
III. “Thanatopsis” Period 3
How is this a Calvinist poem?

---Look at the poem as religious counsel. Many elements
of Calvinistic beliefs are present.
Homework – due Monday, January 12

Read Longfellow’s “The Cross of Snow”

Complete the Worksheet