1. William Cullen Bryant (November 3, 1794 – June 12, 1878) -The first American to gain the stature of a major poet

2. General introduction about William Cullen Bryant's life His works Evaluation

3. General Introduction 1794 born in Cummington,Massachusetts( 马萨诸塞州 ) 1803 began to write poems 1811 finished the first draft of his best known poem Thanatopsis 1817 Thanatopsis was sent to the famous magazine North American Review by his father secretly,then it was published 1821 published his first collection Poems 1825 went to New York and served as assistant editor of the New York Evening Post 1829 became the editor in chief of the New York Evening Post

4. 1872-1874 edited the very successful Picturesque America (describing and illustrating the scenery of America) 1871-1874 translated Iliad （伊利亚特） and Odyssey( 奥德赛 ) 1832-1864 published 6 volumes,including The Fountain, The White-Footed

5. His Poetry Puritanism ＆ Romanticism Nature Truthful experience,precise expression,disciplined imagination Simplicity Romantic,Conservative,Imitative

6. " The rhythmical flow, here, is even voluptuous—nothing could be more melodious 悦耳的. The intense melancholy which seems to well up, perforce, to the surface of all the poet's cheerful sayings about his grave, we find thrilling us to the soul—while there is the truest poetic elevation in the thrill... the impression left is one of a pleasurable sadness. " Edgar Allan Poe

7. Thanatopsis To the pale realm of shade,where each shalltake, His chamber in the silent halls of death, Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night, Scourged to his dungeon,but,sustained and soothed, By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave, Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams

8. 人应该对死亡坦然且无所畏惧地活在当下： 当生命面临死亡的召唤 … 你就如同夜里采石场的奴隶般身不由己。 死亡就如同将他囚禁于土牢，但是透过坚定 信任的支持与安慰， 进入坟墓就如同被舒服的躺椅层层包裹， 他将带着愉快的梦境沉沉睡去。

9. He who, from zone to zone, Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight, In the long way that I must tread alone, Will lead my steps aright. 谁引导你穿过 无垠的天空, 从一个领域到 另一个领域, 也会在我必须 独自跋涉的长 途上, 正确地引导我 的脚步. To a Waterfowl

10. Evaluation His poetry prepared the way for the Transcendentalists （超验主义者 )and for such great poets as Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost of the later generations. His translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey into English blank verse. He demonstrated to Europeam readers that American poetry was ready to demand serious attention.