Thanatopsis- Reflecion

I read the poem Thanatopsis by William Bryant Cullen.  I have many thoughts on this poem.  There was one passage that I particularly liked that I will used to start off my reflection.

"She has a voice of gladness, and a smile

And eloquence of beauty, and she glides

Into his darker musings, with a mild

And healing sympathy..." (Cullen).

I chose this passage to start off my reflection for many reasons.  I liked it because of the description.  I always like when boys describe girls and make them sound so wonderful and beautiful.  When I read this piece of the poem Thanatopsis, it makes me think of a girl who is not only beautiful looking, but also had a beautiful soul.  A "healing sympathy" makes me believe that the woman being described in this poem is a very good person.  If someone were to have a "healing sympathy," I think that they would be a person who would be very generous with their time and emotions to help out others who are having problems.  She is most likely selfless, and is legitimately more worried about the well being of others than the well being of herself.  After reading the passage I have selected over again, I also picture this particular woman to be kind, but also mysterious.  Almost like her kindness givers her some sort of power.  She is obviously a strong human being, and is most likely admired by many.  I just really appreciate when male writers take the time to recognize the beauty, strength, and mystery of woman, and do so in a way that is very flattering to all who read it.  I absolutely love being a female.

There is another part of the poem Thanatopsis by William Bryant Cullen that I also very much liked and found it to be pretty interesting:

"Go forth, under the open sky, and list

To Nature's teachings, while from all around--

Earth and her waters, and the depths of air--

Comes a still voice..." (Cullen).

I think I liked this part of the poem because of the way it is talking about nature.  Nature is obviously the purest form of the planet earth.  I feel like with new technology and our need for expansion, manufacturing products, and so on, people forget about what nature is really all about.  In all honesty, this section of the poem reminded me of Pocahontas.  Maybe that is why I like it so much...but seriously.  Pocahontas always talked about how important it was to connect with the earth and understand how much it really means.  This part of the poem is pretty much saying the same thing.  It is telling you to go out into the heart of nature, and soak in the experience.  There is so much that people, in any generation, can learn from pure nature. It is untouched, and for that it is beautiful.  William Bryant Cullen is telling the reader that nature has its own voice, and if you listen carefully enough, you can hear what it has to say.

"Thanatopsis, by William Cullen Bryant." Poetry Archive | Poems. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. http://www.poetry-archive.com/b/thanatopsis.html.