Analysis Of William Cullen Bryant: Venturing Beyond His Brilliance

William Cullen Bryant: Venturing Beyond His Brilliance William Cullen Bryant is a poet and journalist from the nineteenth century who had been famously known for being a Romanticist based upon his poems during the Romantic Era. From an early age it was immediately known that Bryant had pretty much been a “child prodigy” based upon his ability to read and write at such an early age (Goforth 3). Bryant completed his first poem at the age of ten, and published his first book at the age of thirteen; thus conceding to his brilliance (Goforth 3). The popularity of his first published work brought realization of his actual potential to his father, so he made the decision that William should attend college (Goforth 3). Most of Bryant’s poems reflect what he has experienced throughout his lifetime, his own viewpoints on different topics, and what he has learned based off of the people in his life. Although his poetry can be associated with his sole brilliance, Bryant’s works have

Ever since he was a child, Bryant had a particular connection with nature, and he even “. . . learned to make a companion of thoughts stimulated by nature” (Gado 2). In “Thanatopsis”, with nature being the heavily emphasized topic, Bryant’s connection with nature and his feeling towards it is shown. The significance of nature to him is revealed to the audience through this poem. In the poem, nature is capitalized and personified as a woman. Based off of this poem, Nature has relationship with each of us and has a further connection with death. A critical essay by Victoria Price that analyzes this very poem states that “this poem provided reflections on topics that had real relevance to the citizenry: human mortality, the perception of death as separation, and the transience of life” (1). Bryant perceives death as finally becoming one with the earth and its “elements” (Bryant 27), and leaving our former lives behind. When he stated