The Popular Poet William Cullen Bryant

William Cullen Bryant is one of the most popular poets of the nineteenth century. He has attended most of the public occasions with a kind of poetry that reached all levels of society. He is a poet whose consistencies have overcome his contradictions. Due to the poet hard efforts in the hardest period of his life he was able to publish more than thirty four poems. He used the best and most pure language. He also used a clear theme in his poetry. Even though his poetry may at sometimes appear complex, and controversial, the poet presented every piece of it in an interesting easily understood way. Bryant’s confidence was a major aspect that led him to his creativity. The poet accomplished his success in poetry through his heart and experience. To really understand any of Bryant’s poetry we need to use our sense of imagination, seek, select, and carefully examine every piece of it individually. “His poetry should be real for its meaning, and beauty without those furtive glances.” (Mclean 74). When discussing any of Bryant’s poetry in any school, we will notice his seriousness, morality, and simplicity in all of his poems. Two of the most popular poems of William Cullen Bryant are the Yellow Violet, and Thanatopsis. These two poems if compared will show the unique style and technique Bryant used throughout his poetry. There is a unique pattern of comparison between the poems that can be explained in several ways.

Bryant has added a great amount of thought which gave his poem the Thanatopsis its complexity and depth. The poet himself admits that a work of this kind can’t be repeated. As much as there are thoughts that constantly attempted to change the idea of the poem, they all failed due to the strengths in the phrases that are strictly aimed at one purpose and one direction. What makes the Thanatopsis style unique is that nature supports its beauty to the graves of humans. When you look closely at the poem, you will notice that the poem suggests death is lonely. The phrase “The Two Graves”, (Matthew 22) explains the important need and desirability of privacy in death. A piece of poetry like the Thanatopsis has a unique strong emotional power.

In the Thanatopsis, Bryant is very sensitive and close to nature. He considered death to be a very important element of nature. What Bryant here realized and beautifully put in words has enlightened his viewers to the simple truth about life. Bryant in this poem is emphasizing that death is not a negative thing, but a comfort of fait. What I find interesting in this poem is that it comforts others on the death of your future. This poem simply offers a simple comforting view of death and comfort for the living. Another intersecting point in this poem is that humans live in nature although each part of them as individuals is gone. He is saying that don’t be scared to be a part of nature because you are going to join others who already became a part of it long before you. In the Thanatopsis you will find comfort and inspiration; comfort in death and the reality of it; and inspiration to all his viewers to understand and appreciate the presence of nature. Another important point about the Thanatopsis is that it’s an easy transition piece between deism and romanticism. It’s clear in this poem that Bryant depended heavily on the New England nature, and unstable environment which all give his poetry its rationality. The language and style in the poem gave it its simplicity and easiness. It’s clear that the approach of this poem is the problem of death. The poet also makes it clear that not only there are many persons from the past to share the experience of death because death is the fate of men everywhere in the present and even future generations. The poet also says that humans don’t accept the nature of death because they know that they are going to lose their dignity being under the ground. The nature clarifies for those men that the men before them are all of the kings, the wise, and the good. So no matter how much dignity you have, or beauty; all these nature forms lend this dignity and beauty to the grave. It’s the intellectual content and strong clear language that gave the poem its strong meaning.

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He also emphasizes that you should live your life the way you want, and never get affected by others thoughts about how you should live. Too many times we are afraid to be different. For any human to live without regret, they have to live their lives to the fullest while they still can. Here he means to not be afraid to do anything that we always wanted to do. He is also saying that since we are going to become dirt again, no one has the right to tell us how to live our lives. The beautiful way that the poet describes death gives the living and the dying much comfort in the process. Bryant is also saying that no one will ever be alone; so it’s easier to let someone go in this case. Another beautiful aspect about Bryant’s poetry is that it provides comfort to all humans no matter what their religious beliefs are. Bryant also is saying that death is a living but in another way which is nature and how you become a part of it.

One of the poet’s best works is the yellow violet. The yellow violet principles are moral sense, beauty, and truth, also taste. In this poem, the nature talks to the humans who she loves who are familiar with it. When those humans are satisfied, the nature speaks in a beautiful sound, with a big smile. The nature cheers its people up. The poet here is advising you that if you think of death and its scary images go outside and enjoy the blessings of nature. Bryant here is also telling his reader that after we die, we will not be able to see the sun or the ocean anymore because the earth will eventually take all humans in to their original form. The nature and its existence are beautiful. It’s clear in this poem that humans the nature for their following generations.

It’s said that this poem is filled with pleasurable sadness. It’s a way to worn a man from any pride. The yellow violet is best explained as a description of a man rambling through a sensory laden wood. The best way to really explain and clarify the poem is that to divide it into three different sections that would make it easier to understand. First the man goes into the wood, then sees the violet, and finally gets the simple beauty of the violet and then applies all that to him and all humanity. Bryant continues to braise the violet while comparing it’s down to earth soul and nature to other flowers. Bryant also uses a vital imagery language easily captures us. ” A certain narrow and overly simplistic view of human nature that excludes a more candid, introspective, ironic, and a self critical view of humanity. (24). another important aspect is that Bryant attempt to be someone better than he was, better than those people who walk through nature. The poem suggests that he better look down at the people beneath him because all humans are the same in the sense that they are going to become a part of the nature. When you read the poem for the first time, you will notice the beautiful use of imagination to color and erase the danger and discomfort of death. Bryant also explains that death is a great representation to the end of any human’s individual status, and any other qualities that the human race created for themselves.

In the yellow violet it’s also clear that Bryant was a good observer of nature. Bryant was a poet who was able to link the nature of life, and the nature of nature in a simple easy language. If you read his poetry and understand it, you will notice the explosion of beautiful deep meanings that are directly linked to reality. Bryant in his clever ways describes how humanity will always change, but nature will stay the same; and how humans are a major part of the nature. The poet also points out that it’s the poorest, less known, and invisible; people in your surroundings are the ones who cheer you up. They will never let you down. So those who become rich, and work very hard on doing so forget that at the end they are the same as those poor ones. The wonders of nature here always repeat themselves. Bryant in this poem makes very important points about life. He clearly demonstrates that while life styles and cultures change, and die away, nature will remain the same.

In conclusion, for anyone to really understand the beauty and depth of Bryant’s work, they have to understand who he was and his origin as a human. If you hate the fact of death, you have no choice but to accept it. At one point if not know your life, you will understand the strength Bryant goes through when he wrote this piece of art.