Thanatopsis

“Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” by Thomas Gray (1751)

Like “Thanatopsis,” this poem is an elegy written in the name of humankind rather than a specific person. The speaker in this poem comes upon a country churchyard during sunset, which causes him to realize that the rich and poor are alike in death. The poem is also part of the Graveyard School of poetry.

“The Grave” by Robert Blair (1743)

This poem, which heavily inspired the Graveyard School of poetry, characterizes death as an overarching and uniting monarch. It describes various aspects of death, including the social changes it produces, the death of distinctive persons, and the devouring effects of time.

“Mutation” by William Cullen Bryant (1824)

In this poem, Bryant explores the theme of the fleeting and transitory nature of human experience by focusing on the mutable, changing emotions humans endure. Pain and pleasure are cast as ephemeral experiences soon replaced by others.

“I Broke the Spell That Held Me Long” by William Cullen Bryant (1832)

Like “Thanatopsis,” this poem illustrates the effect nature has on humans. In the vein of Romanticism, it explores human emotion in relation to nature and uses nature imagery in comparison to poetry itself.