Question

In this excerpt from the poem "Thanatopsis" by William Cullen Bryant, what is the meaning of the word swain?

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. The oak
Shall send his roots abroad, and pierce thy mold.

Answer 1

In the context of the excerpt from "Thanatopsis," the word "swain" refers to a young man or a rustic laborer, often associated with rural life. The "rude swain" mentioned in the poem is likely a simple country person or farmer who works the land. The use of the word conveys a sense of primitiveness and connection to nature, which aligns with the poem's themes of mortality and the natural cycle of life and death. In this passage, the swain is depicted as a figure who engages in the physical labor of turning the soil, emphasizing humanity's relationship with the earth.