Question

Read the excerpt from "Thanatopsis” by William Cullen Bryant.

Yet not to thine eternal resting-place
Shalt thou retire alone, nor couldst thou wish
Couch more magnificent. Thou shalt lie down
With patriarchs of the infant world—with kings,
The powerful of the earth—the wise, the good,
Fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past,
All in one mighty sepulchre.

How do the words magnificent and powerful contribute to the meaning of this excerpt?

They emphasize the elaborate nature of the rituals that surround death.
They suggest that most people misunderstand what happens after death.
They emphasize that death is something to be welcomed rather than feared.
They suggest people seem more important to others in death than in life.

Answer 1

They emphasize that death is majestic and consoling — a magnificent rest among the great — so it’s something to be welcomed rather than feared.