Norwood1

DeVaughnNorwood
3.3.15
ENGL3030
Dr.KathleenTherrien

BalancingtheScale:ReimaginingtheDimensionsBetweenDivineEntitiesandHumanity

Beforethetwentiethcentury,whenchallengingtheideasofdominance,servitude,and
equalitybecamealmostculturalnormpossiblyevenacriteriaforsocietalprogressionitwas
thoughthighlyinappropriateandrudetoquestionapersonsrole,whetheritbeinamannerof
dominanceorsubmission.However,itwerethoseboldquestions,askedbyboldmenandwomen
inallstationsoflifepoor,rich,Black,White,Christian,andpaganthatallowedthosecultural
norms(andcriteria)tomakethemodernworldso...well,modern.Onesuchquestionaskedwas
whethermanwastrulymeanttobesubservienttoadivinepower,andifso,why?
Whowasthis
divinebeingandwhywasheorshesodeservingofpraiseandadorationonmybehalf
?became
aconstantthoughtineverybravemindupuntilthetwentiethcentury,whenhumanbeingsbegan
tofindtheirvoice.TwoofthesebravemindswereEdwardTaylor,aseventeenthcentury
ministerinNewEngland,andWilliamCullenBryant,atwentiethcenturypoetwhobothargued
thatreligion,subservience,oranyotherrecognitionofahigherpowerworthyofadulationis
notthemasterandslaveclichethateveryoneimaginedittobe.Infact,theserelationshipsare
symbiotic,mutualistic,wherebothpartiesbothpraiserandpraiseebenefitinvariousways.Not
onlythis,butdivinityisnotsolelytheBigGuyUpstairsuponhisgoldenthronedivinity

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embodiesallnature,surroundings,environments,andideasthateachhumanbeingfinds
personallydeservingoflaudation.Obviously,theseargumentsdidnotjustspringforthfrom
thesemensmindsmuchlikeAthenabrokefreefromZeus.No,theyeachbeganbyaskingWhy
me?
WilliamCullenBryantpublishedanumberofnotedworksduringthenineteenthcentury,
aperiodinfusedwithmorethanonemajorliterarymovement,thetwomostinfluentialbeing
RomanticismandTranscendentalism.Romanticismstressedpersonalemotion,anunrestricted
imagination,andafreedomfromrulesofformality,whileTranscendentalismaskedpeopleto
vieweveryorganismintheworldasbutasmallcoginthemachinethatistheuniverse,andto
trustinonesownindividualintuitions.Thesetwoliterarymovementsweretheunderscorein
mostofBryantsworkhowever,itwashispoem
Thanatopsis
thatcausedpeopletochallenge
theirideasondivinityandselfpurpose,specificallytheideaoftheafterlife.Thenameofthe
poemitself,
Thanatopsis
,meansacontemplationofdeath,referencingtheGreekgodofsoft,
ornonviolentdeath,Thanatos.ThemainpointthatBryantisarguingforissimplythis:that
deathshouldnotbesomethingfearedorhated,butcelebratedandpraised,andheproveshiscase
forthisinthreeways.First,heencouragesthereadertoseethatlifeanddeathformasymbiotic
relationship,oneinwhichhumans,bothaliveanddeceased,benefit.Secondly,heacknowledges
Natureasthesupremedivinebeingtowhichweshouldgivepraises,andthenreassuringusthat
nomatterthelifewelivehereonEarth,ourfateswillallbethesame.
Inbiology,amutualisticsymbioticrelationshipisoneinwhichtheinteractingspeciesare
interdependentandcannotlivewithouteachother.Oneexampleofthissortofrelationship
wouldbethebeeandtheflower,inwhichthebeefliesfromflowertoflower,collectingnectarto

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makefood,allthewhiletransferringpollenfromoneflowertoanother,aidingintheflowers
reproduction.ItisthisverysortofrelationshipthatBryantattemptstodrivehomeinhis
Thanatopsis
:thatlifeanddeathareinterdependentandcannotthrivewithouttheother....The
oak/shallsendhisrootsabroad,andpiercethymould.(l.2930)Here,Bryantprovidesthe
personifiedimageofatreeprovidingsustenance,itsrootsgrowingfromthemineralsand
fertilizerprovidedbytheashesofthetribes/thatslumberinitsbosom.(l.4950)But,through
spellboundingimagery,heconfidentlydefinesthismutualisticbalance:
...Thehills
Rockribbdandancientasthesun,thevales
Stretchinginpensivequietnessbetween
Thevenerablewoodsriversthatmove
Inmajesty,andthecomplainingbrooks
Thatmakethemeadowsgreenandpourdroundall,
Oldoceansgreyandmelancholywaste,
Arebutthesolemndecorationsall
Ofthegreattombofman.(l.3745)
Inbutninelines,Bryantlaidoutthe4.54billionyearsofcreationhereonthisplanet:thateach
deathcreateslife,eachfinalbreathwhispersthroughthetrees,themselvesrootedinthemuscles
ofthestrongmenthatbuiltcivilizationscriesandheartbreaksandtearslendingthemselvesto
riversandseasandlakes.ItisthisverydepictionofliferecycledthatexemplifiesBryants
secondendeavor:acknowledgingNatureasdivinity,orinshort,God.

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Atafirstglance,thereaderrecognizesthatthepoemisreadfroma1stpersonomniscient
voice,thenarratorbeingDeathitself.IfweacceptwhatBryantsaysaboutnaturebeingthe
sepulchreofdeceasedones,thenwecanderivethatDeathistheCreatorofallthings,as
paradoxicalasthatmaybe,therebyaffirmingitsdivinestatus.Wherethereisnature,thereis
divinity.Death,inthepoem,speakstothereaderinaveryinformalvoice,asurprisingfactbeing
thatinthenineteenthcentury,allrelationshipsbetweenChristiandivinitiesandworshiperswere
heldinhighrespectandform.Asrelaxedtherelationshipmaybe,Naturemakesitclearthatitis
thebalmforalloccasionsandisreadyandwillingtocareforitsinhabitants:
...Whenthoughts
Ofthelastbitterhourcomelikeablight
Overthyspirit,andsadimages
Ofthesternagony,andshroud,andpall,
Andbreathlessdarkness,andthenarrowhouse,
Maketheetoshudder,andgrowsickatheart
Goforthundertheopensky,andlist
ToNaturesteachings,whilefromallaround
Earthandherwaters,andhedepthsofair,
Comesastillvoice...(l.817)
Thereassuranceliesinthatwhenthedarkdaysoflifeweighyoudown,Natureissurrounding
youinamotherlyembracewithhercalmingwatersandtheopennessofair.
ThisnotionthatNaturecanbothsustainandcalmitshearerswasntanewdoctrineinthe
nineteenthcenturyno,EdwardTaylor,aNewEnglandminister,detailedthisthoughtinhis

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poem
UponAWaspChilledWithCold
.Thepoemaddressesseveralpoints,specificallythe
argumentthathumanbeingshaveasmuchdivinepowerasGod,Nature,oranyotherspiritual
entity.Duringtheseventeenthcentury,thenewEnglishimmigrantstoNorthAmericafoundthe
unknownterrainquiteterrifying.Thickforests,swiftrivers,andacclimationtonewerclimate
typesallshockedtheimmigrants,formingthebasisforthePilgrimslongstandingstrifewith
theNativeAmericans.Thisreactiontothenewterrainisallegoricallyexpressedinthefirstfew
linesofTaylorspoem:TheBearthatbreathestheNorthernBlast/Didnumb,Torpedolike,a
Wasp/(l.12)Throughthecourseofthepoem,thewaspcomingintomention,afterbeing
hurtbytheNorthernWind,findssolaceandregenerationinthewarmthofthesun,andisableto
flyawayingratitudebytheendofthepoem.Itiswidelyacknowledgedthatthewaspisa
symbolforhumankind,thesunforGodordivinepower.Asaforeshown,humankindandGod
shareamutualisticsymbioticrelationship.However,itisnttherelationshipbetweenthewasp
(man)andthesun(God)thatholdstheargumentinthepoem,buttheimagerybywhichthewasp
isshown.Thewaspisinitiallyenvisionedashaving...stiffenedlimbsencramped,laybathing/In
Solswarmbreathandshine(l.23)ItisafairquestiontoaskwhyTaylorchoseawaspto
representhumankind.Waspsarearduousworkers,laboringinlargenumberstobringabouta
successfulend.Byselectingawasptoshowcasethenatureofman,Taylorimpliedthathuman
beingsareskillfullaborers,chasingafteracommongoal,despitethemeans.Itcanalsobe
inferredthatTaylorpersonifiedthewasptoelevatetheideaofhumilityandsmallstature.
Becausethewaspisinjuredandhurtbythewilesoftheworld,she...outextends/UntotheSun,
ingreatdesire/Towarmherdigitsatthatfire.(l.810)Afterrestingandrejuvenating,thewasp
fliesawayingenuinegratitude.Itistruethatmencannotevadesubservience,whetheritbetoa

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spiritualentityoranintellectualidea.ButTaylorfindsthebraverytoproclaimthatthereis
strengthinsubmissivenessandhumility,forhowelsemightoneprogresswithoutbeingmade
subjecttosuperiorintellect?Braveryandfortitudedonotlieintherisingafterafall,butinthat
momentwhenyoufindthestrengthtotryagaindespitetheriskoffallingagain.
Bryantpresentedathirdpointin
Thanatopsis
thatsummarizedcompletelyand
wonderfullytheentirethesisofhisandTaylorsarguments:thatnomatterthelifeweleadduring
ourtimeonEarth,weallarepurportedtoreturntothatfromwhencewecame.Asclicheasitis,
theCircleofLifewasBryantsmainargument.Hesaid,...Earth,thatnourishedthee,shall
claim/Thygrowth,toberesolvdtoearthagain/(l.2223)Ashestoashes,dusttodust,right?
See,itisntjustthatsimple.Sure,wewillonedaybebutdustundertheearth,butbyjoiningthe
billionsofotherdeceasedintheearth,wevoidourselvesofthefacadeofindividualism.
...Thoushaltliedown
Withpatriarchsoftheinfantworldwithkings,
Thepowerfuloftheearththewise,thegood,
Fairforms,andhoaryseersofagespast,
Allinonemightysepulchre.(l.3337)
Indeath,thereistotaldemocracy.Indifference,thereisequality.Intheend,we,theaverage
workerwasp,shedouruniqueness,ourflaws,andjointhegreatsoftime,thoselegendsofold,
andbecomeasonewasphive,strivingtogetherasonecolony,laboringundertherecognition
thatnomatterthestationornobilityweheldinourpreviouslife,oursolegoalnowisproviding
fortheearthafinalbreaththatwhispersthroughthetrees,themselvesrootedinthemusclesofus

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strongmenwhobuiltcivilizationsandnationslendingourleftovercriesandheartbreaksand
tearsthemselvestoriversandseasandlakes.