BRYANT
Before I begin, I'd like to direct all of you to a decent reference source to help you analyze Bryant's "To a Waterfowl". The analysis wasn't as comprehensive as the review questions, but it may help the metaphorically-challenged (such as myself) to see "the big picture."
http://poetry.suite101.com/article.cfm/bryants_to_a_waterfowl
After reading Bryant's "To a Waterfowl" and "Thanatopsis," I have a few questions about the Review Questions. I'll address my questions separately for each poem. I've included my own thoughts on them, but I'd really appreciate any clarifications you're able to make.
"Thanatopsis":
3. What is the most depressing subject that afflicts us?
12. With what does the poet equate death?
14. How does the poem express Romantic philosophy?
"To a Waterfowl":
5. What is notable about the development in stanza 4 that contributes to the poem's purpose?
7. What analogy does the poet seek to establish between the narrative voice and the subject?
14. What is the origin of the "lesson" learned by the narrative voice?
18. What aspects of the Romantic philosophy are expressed in the poem?
Again, please add to and/or correct my ideas. Also, feel free to post any questions you have about the poems; I'll check for comments and respond to any tomorrow night.
--Thanks, Danielle
http://poetry.suite101.com/article.cfm/bryants_to_a_waterfowl
After reading Bryant's "To a Waterfowl" and "Thanatopsis," I have a few questions about the Review Questions. I'll address my questions separately for each poem. I've included my own thoughts on them, but I'd really appreciate any clarifications you're able to make.
"Thanatopsis":
3. What is the most depressing subject that afflicts us?
As far as I could see, the poem never specifically stated what the "most depressing subject" is. My interpretation would be the following: The most depressing subject that afflicts us is thoughts of the last bitter hour, which “come like a blight / Over thy spirit, and sad images / Of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall.”
12. With what does the poet equate death?
I felt that Bryant equated death to a "last sleep." In another part of the poem, however, Bryant writes "So live, that when they summons comes to join / The innumerable caravan which moves / To that mysterious realm, where each shall take his chamber in the silent halls of death.” I'm not sure whether or not "the innumerable caravan" refers to death.
14. How does the poem express Romantic philosophy?
I came up with two ways in which "Thanatopsis" expressed Romantic philosophy, but I'm sure there are more ways than what I discovered. I felt that the poem expresses Romantic philosophy by speaking of the beauty and permanence of nature. Also, the poem makes emotional rather than logical arguments, another characteristic of Romantic literature. Can you think of any other ways?
"To a Waterfowl":
5. What is notable about the development in stanza 4 that contributes to the poem's purpose?
I came up with a response for this question, but I'm not sure if it's completely correct or even if it's "completely complete." I thought that the development in stanza 4 that contributes to the poem’s purpose is notable because it refers to a “Power” (a higher being) who is taking care of the lone bird, directing it “along that pathless coast,-- / The desert and illimitable air.” I think that Stanza 4 shows that the poem demonstrates and refers to the existence and influence of a higher being/power. Perhaps one could even say that the existence of a higher being is a theme contained throughout the poem?
7. What analogy does the poet seek to establish between the narrative voice and the subject?
I am completely clueless on this one. Could it be that the narrative voice is... some sort of religious instructor and the subject is a potential follower? As I said, I have no idea how to answer this question.
14. What is the origin of the "lesson" learned by the narrative voice?
I'm fairly uncertain about this question. I guess the origin of the lesson is that the waterfowl was able to fly away and (presumably) safely arrive at its summer home/sheltered nest. Any alternate theories?
18. What aspects of the Romantic philosophy are expressed in the poem?
I found two aspects of the Romantic philosophy, but I'd like to hear additional ones. Here's what I have: the aspects of the Romantic philosophy expressed in this poem include Nature, a lack of logical argument, and an emphasis on feelings and emotions over reason.
Again, please add to and/or correct my ideas. Also, feel free to post any questions you have about the poems; I'll check for comments and respond to any tomorrow night.
--Thanks, Danielle
3 Comments:
Ok... so i know that i dont blog..basically ever.. but i think i actually understood this poem so im gonna put my ideas out there and see what yall think.
First of all, i looked up the word thanatopsis and i came up with that it was a "contemplation of death." That pretty much makes sense cause from what i got from the poem it was all about how you should live life to the fullest and never have any regrets about anything.Then in the part that says "In silence from the living and no friend take note of thy departure," i think thats saying that if you decide to not live life to the fullest no ones gonna notice when your gone.
Also, just an idea about the part that starts with "when thoughts of the last bitter hour come like a blight...ect" then it goes into saying "go forth under the open sky and list to Natures teachings", i think this is trying to say that when your feeling sad or scared, if you go out and experience Nature everything will get better. If im wrong feel free to correct me.
And i have a question about the line that says "The oak Shall send his roots abroad, and pierce thy mould." Yeah... whats that mean?
-Morgan
The words "The oak Shall send his roots abroad, and pierce thy mould" refers back to the line where Bryant says that when you die, you are mixed with the elements. He wrote, "Earth. that nourished thee, shall claim / Thy growth [...] And, lost each human trace, surrendering up / Thine individual being, shalt thou go / To mix forever with the elements: / To be a brother to the insensible rock, / And to the sluggish clod, which the rude swain / Turns with his share, and treads upon."
Basically, Bryant is saying that once dead, you become part of all things.
Okay so i just finished my obituary (most depressing assignment i've ever had to do; my mom was shocked when she heard we had to do this haha), so I figured i'd post something on the whole concept of death in relation to the two poems.
First of all, after that whole discussion in class on whether Bryant was refering to Nature or God as the force in "To a Waterfowl," I'm really glad we came to the concensus that it could've been both. I believe his poem is intended to have several instances of paradoxes. Another is whether heaven is an "abyss" or if it's a "summer home." Then there's the idea of whether the earth is safe at all. For the waterfowl who is flying, the areas of earth with water are safe for her/him; however, the hunter is also on the earth. This brings up the question of whether the waterfowl would be better off in heaven (which could either be an abyss or a summer home) or taking the risk of going towards land (earth).
I mentioned this in class before, but "Thanatopsis" definately reveals less ambiguity than "To a Waterfowl." "Thanatopsis" is a definate interpretation of death as opposed to "To a Waterfowl" which leaves the reader free to take sides with either option presented through the paradoxes. "Thanatopsis" is just a carefree, hippy-ish take on life. Death is presented as a cycle which shouldn't be feared. The only thing is that cycles usually connote consistency, but death is not commonly consistent. As a matter a fact, death is unexpected (example: car accidents, heart attacks, etc.); therefore, it's hard to accept and resist fear of a concept that one cannot predict. People are always fearful of that which they don't know or cannot explain, so fear of death will always reside in people as long as it remains an unpredictable factor.
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