Thanatopsis+Paraphrase+(part+of+unit+3)

Note: I edited student paraphrases for accuracy and clarity, but I tried to stay as close to their wording as possible.

12/11/13 2nd hour

1. lines 1-8 To the person who loves nature and gets in touch with natural things, Nature speaks in different ways: When he’s happy, Nature smiles down on him, and when he’s sad, Nature cares for and comforts him, makes him feel better.

2. lines 8-17 When you’re thinking about death and imagining your coffin under a shroud, and this makes you shake and makes your heart ache, go outside and listen to Nature.

3. lines 18-22 Soon we’re all going to die and when we do we won’t see or be seen by the ocean, ground, sun, or any of Nature once we’re buried

4. lines 22-29 Mother Nature takes care of you and you will be the reason why you grow. When you die, you’ll be giving everything back to nature. For everyone that dies, they will give up their existence and it will be combined with nature forever. When you die, you’ll be a brother to the environment such as rocks and clods. The plower plows his field and plows upon the dead from the cycle of life.

5. lines 29-33 The oak tree roots will stab you in the ground. You’re not going to be there alone. You will be with all the people who have already died.

6. lines 33-37 When you die, you will be buried with the fathers of the young world and all the wise and good people of the world all in one mighty tomb (earth).

7. lines 37-45 The land of the earth is true art. Everything is detailed and compliments one another from the hills to the old sun. The peacefulness of the world, to the ancient woods, rivers that move with honor, brooks that give the meadows their green color and empty in to the vast oceans with all of the lands waste. All of this makes man’s grave beautiful. For the earth is every ones grave.

8. lines 45-50 The sun, planets and everything in space are looking down on the remains of dead people in nature. Death is something you cannot avoid. Time goes on no matter what. All the people alive are so few compared to amount dead.

9. lines 50-57 Fly away to the desert of Barca in Africa, or go to the vast woods by the Oregon river (where it’s silent except for the river’s sounds). In all these places there are the remains of dead people. Even in these remote, undeveloped places, dead people are there (and only dead people).

10. lines 58-66 You will die and be gone from everyone and what if no one notices? Everything the lives will die the same as you. People will carry on without you and laugh as they did, care as they did, chase dreams as they did, but they will all lose these goals and be dead with you in the end.

11. lines 66-72 As time passes by, the new generation. Everyone will die people in their prime will die too. Death is the great equalizer, it doesn’t matter who you are you will die. It is an endless chain; everyone will die and go by their side in the graveyard.

12. lines 73-81 So now that you know all this, you should live in such a way that when your time comes to die, you aren’t afraid (like someone being shoved into prison), but you can go peacefully (like someone taking a nice, cozy nap).

Thanatopsis Paraphrase 3rd hour December 2013 12/11/13 3rd hour

1. . lines 1-8 To the person who is kind to nature, nature is open to them (opens a new perspective of nature to that person):  When he’s happy, nature shows beauty and happiness.  When he’s upset, she tries to make him feel better by taking away his anger before he even realizes it.

2. lines 8-17 When you think of death, you’re going to be overwhelmed by sadness but instead you should look into the beauty of nature because it will calm you and let all the sadness go!

3. lines 18-22 Soon you’ll die, and the sun will no longer be able to reach you, or the place you were buried, where people cried for you. Also in the depths of the ocean your human form shall no longer exist.

4. lines 22-29 When you die you go back to the earth (that gave you all the matter that made up you) and become a part of it. Being born from the earth, the earth has treated you well (by nourishing you) as you grow until death. You become the soil that the plowboy plows, so you nourish those plants, which people eat.

5. lines 29-33 A tree will move through your rotted body, but you won’t be alone in death (partly because you will become part of the tree), and you’ll rest in the best bed possible (the earth).

6. lines 33-37 You will lie down with the leaders of the new world, with the kings, the powerful, wise, good and justice figures of the old days, and then rest (buried) in the mighty tomb. (earth)

<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 26.66px;">7. lines 37-45 <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 26.66px;">The mountains are as old as the sun, the valleys that are quiet in between the mountains, the respected woods, the rivers that flow majestically, the streams that water the foliage and the ocean that is all around. These are all decorations of the mighty tomb that belongs to all of us(planet earth).

<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 26.66px;">8. lines 45-50 <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 26.66px;">The sun and the planets, everything in the sky, shine down everywhere where there are remains of dead people. All the people who are now alive are just a “handful” compared to the many dead people buried in the ground.

<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 26.66px;">9. lines 50-57 <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 26.66px;">Take a trip to the African desert, Oregon River and continuous woods where you will only hear the rushing of the river, but you aren’t alone because of all the bodies helping to fuel life.

<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 26.66px;">10. lines 58-66 What if you die silently, withdraw from everyone else, and no one notices or cares? Everyone else will die too. The happy people will still be happy after you die. The serious hard workers will keep working after you die. All of them will (die too) and drop everything to come join you.

<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 26.66px;">11. lines 66-72 As time passes, everyone dies- the youth, the men, the workers, the babies etc. we all come together when buried and then repeat.

<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 26.66px;">12. lines 73-81 <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 26.66px;">Live so when you get called to join the many people to the place where everyone goes when they die, don’t fear death; go peacefully.

“Thanatopsis” 5th hour Paraphrase Dec 2013

1. lines 1-8: Nature speaks in a variety of ways to people who respect/join with nature: For his happier times, she speaks kindly and beautifully.When he’s sad, she comforts him; she takes away his pain before he realizes it.

2. lines 8-17 : When we are about to die suddenly we become afraid of death. We think about how our body would look in a coffin while we are still alive. We will no longer be afraid if we look to nature for comfort. So if we live our life to the fullest and embrace nature while we are still alive, we must realize that we are a part of nature just as nature is a part of us.

3. lines 18-22: In a really short time, you will die and then the sun and where ever it shines won’t see you anymore. Nor will the ground where you laid nor will the oceans. Your image shall no longer exist.

4. lines 22-29: The earth that made you will claim you when you die. Every piece of you will slowly become part of the earth, in which future generations will plow. Being in the soil you’ll become part of his produce. To become food for the current generation. This is the circle of life.

5. lines 29-33: The oak tree sends his roots out to go into your decomposed body. You won’t go to rest in the earth alone. There is no better resting place.

6. lines 33-37: When you die, you will lie down with all kinds of important people. There will be male leaders from long ago when the earth was young. There will be biblical people, kings and other powerful people who are powerful wise and good. In this final resting place there will be beautiful people. There will be old prophets. All of these people will lie down in one burial place, which is the earth.

7. lines 37-45:The hills rocky and as old as the sun – the grand river touching the silence. The old woods- and the majestic rivers move with smaller rivers that make the land beautiful: All of these marks ( ocean, sun, forest, river) are what decorate the world which is the tomb of the people.

8. lines 45-50:All of nature and everything above are lighting up the remains of the dead. They have been doing this since the beginning of time and will never stop. More of us are dead than living on this earth.

9. lines 50-57: Everywhere you go; in deserts or even in a forest, the remains of the dead are there (even if there is no trace of living humans). The remains spread throughout the earth, and also live in another form.

10. lines 58-66: what if you die and no friends notice you’re gone? All people share the same future (death). The happy will laugh when you are gone and the unhappy people will trudge on, weighed down by their worries. All people you left behind when you died will come to make their bed next to you.

11. lines 66-72: As time passes, the young people both the men and women will die and one day all the people from different roles in the world will be in the same spot. Each generation gathers one generation after another to be buried by the following generation.

12. lines 73-81: So you should live in such a way that when the time of your death comes, you don’t go like a slave being shoved into a prison. Instead, approach death peacefully like you’re going to sleep.


 * 2012 Hour 1 Paraphrase of “Thanatopsis****”**

Passage #1 (lines 1-8) (we paraphrased this together as a class)

Nature talks in many different ways to people who (because they love nature) communicate/be one with visible parts of nature. When he’s happy nature talks to him with a smiling, happy voice and well-communicated beauty. When his thoughts are sad/depressed, nature cheers him up/makes him happy before he even knows that he’s sad.

Passage #2 (lines 8-17)

When you think of dying and the image of it makes you sad/scared, when you think of the pain (of death) and of your casket and of being buried and covered with an empty blackness, and these thoughts make you shiver and become upset, Then you should go out under a sky full of stars or open sunny day, and you listen to the air, water, and animals. They will talk to you with a quiet voice.

Passage #3 (lines 17-22) (no group had this passage)

In just a few days [in a short time] you won’t be seen by the sun anymore as it makes its journey across the sky. You also won’t exist (in your current form) in the dirt where you were buried by your crying loved ones. You also won’t exist (in your current form) in the ocean.

Passage #4 (lines 22-29)

Nourishment from the Earth is what allowed you to grow and when you die, your body will be turned into Earth again. After you die you stop being the person you used to be. Your body will mix with the elements of Earth. You will be related to all the matter of the earth. You will be turned into a clod of dirt which a farmer will plow (and use for growing his crops).

Passage #5 (lines 29-33) (No group had this passage)

The oak tree’s roots will grow through the dirt that used to be you. But you won’t be alone as your body rots in the soil forever, and you couldn’t ask for a better spot to spend eternity.

Passage #6 (lines 33-37) (No first-hour group had this passage; so we borrowed 2nd hour’s)

When you die, you will be put in the ground with all of the kings and great people of the past in one great tomb [the earth].

Passage #7 (lines 37-45)

The old mountains, old as the sun, the valleys that stretch in peaceful quietness between these mountains; the honored forest; the rivers that move with magnificence, the loud streams that water the meadows, and the old dark ocean that surrounds the land: all these natural features are decorations of the huge tomb of man [that we call the planet Earth].

Passage #8 (lines 45-50)

Throughout all of the ages before, and to come, the sun and all of the stars and planets in the galaxy are looking down on the depressing tomb [we call planet Earth]. All the [living] people upon the surface Earth may seem like many, when in reality they are nothing when compared to the generations [of dead people] that lay below the surface.

Passage #9 (lines 50-57)

If you would fly away to distant places like the North African desert or the huge forest where the Columbia river flows, where the only sound is the river running and there is no hint of human civilization, in all those remote, uncivilized the dead are anywhere you go. In these places, they are the only human presence.

Passage #10 (lines 58-66)

You are going to die, what if you die alone? Everything that breathes dies too. The happy will still be happy, the sad will still be sad. Everyone still strives to succeed, but they leave everything behind in the end and come and join you in death.

Passage #11 (lines 66-72)

As we get older and time goes on, young boys, playful children, adults in the prime of their life, married or unwed, infants, and the elderly will all die and be buried with you [in the huge grave called planet Earth]. The people who buried them will also die and be buried with you and them.

Passage #12 (lines 73-81)

Live life to the fullest so that when death comes and takes you (with the rest of the dead) to the next realm, you will not go like a slave being kicked and shoved into a cage, but instead you’ll be comforted by a constant confidence [because you know you’ll still exist as part of nature] and die pleasantly.

_


 * Hour 2 Paraphrase of “Thanatopsis”**

Passage #1 (lines 1-8) (we paraphrased this together as a class)

Nature talks in many different ways to a person who respects nature and connects to things in nature you can see. When he’s happy, Nature speaks to him in a joyful, smiling, beautiful voice. When he’s down/depressed, Nature enters his sad thoughts and picks him up before he knows it.

Passage #2 (lines 8-17)

When thoughts of how and when you’re going to die (and if its going to be sad, painful, lonely, depressing, etc), and when thoughts of the dark loneliness your coffin make you tremble with fear and feel sick inside, then you should go outside and listen to what nature is saying to you. A voice comes from the waters and air all around you.

Passage #3 (lines 17-22) (no group had this passage)

In just a few days [in a short time] you won’t be seen by the sun anymore as it makes its journey across the sky. You also won’t exist (in your current form) in the dirt where you were buried by your crying loved ones. You also won’t exist (in your current form) in the ocean.

Passage #4 (lines 22-29)

When you die you’ll become one with the earth that sustained your body. The planet will add you in with the other elements, of the planet, and there will be no evidence of the person you were. In death, you will be able to relate to inanimate objects like a cold rock or a clump of dirt. Because you will be part of the earth, you will be dirt which a farmer will step on and plow [and grow food on].

Passage #5 (lines 29-33) (No group had this passage)

The oak tree’s roots will grow through the dirt that used to be you. But you won’t be alone as your body rots in the soil forever, and you couldn’t ask for a better spot to spend eternity.

Passage 6 (lines 33-37)

When you die, you will be put in the ground with all of the kings and great people of the past in one great tomb [the earth].

Passage #7 (lines 37-45)

The whole world is a very decorated, beautiful tomb.Old hills, the valleys between them, the honored woods, the stately rivers, the gurgling brooks that water the green meadows and dark oceans around all this; all these parts of nature are decorating the huge, beautiful grave for everyone [that we call the earth].

Passage 8 (lines 45-50)

All the stars and planets of the universe shine down on the huge burial place called the earth and will continue to do so throughout the years, forever. All the [living] people still on the surface of the planet are only a small fraction of the [dead] people who have been there and now are buried below the surface.

Passage #9 (lines 50-57)

If you fly away to any remote part of the earth, to the desert of Barca, North Africa, if you get lost in the tranquility of the endless woods where you come upon the relaxing Columbia river (where there is no [civilization], no sound except the rushing of the water), in all these places are the remains of dead people. Millions of people, since the start of time, have died and now their remains exist in these remote places. They are the only trace of humanity there.

Passage #10 (lines 58-66) So when you die, what if no one notices? Everything that is living will eventually die and end up eternally together. Life will still go on after you die; the happy will laugh. The serious will keep working, and everyone will seek out their own goals, yet in the end no matter what, these people will share your fate and die and be buried with you (in the earth). .

Passage #11 (lines 66-72)

As time goes on, death will come and find every person, young or old, male or female, married or unmarried. They will die and be buried with you (in the earth). Then the people who buried them will die and be buried with you (in the earth).

Passage #12 (lines 73-81)

Live so that when the time comes for your life to end, you don't go into death feeling trapped and forced like a slave, but instead take comfort [because you know you’ll still exist as part of nature] and embrace death with peace as if you were going to bed.

_


 * Hour 5 Paraphrase of “Thanatopsis”**

Passage #1 (lines 1-8)

Nature talks in many ways to lovers of nature (who come together with nature). When things are good Nature speaks happily and is glad for life. When he’s sad Nature helps him heal before he realizes that he’s that sad.

Passage #2 (lines 8-17)

When you think about the last moments that you have to live, it can be very depressing and make you very sad. When you picture yourself dying in the future and how you will die, when you envision pain in death and all aspects that come with it, such as being wrapped in linen, not breathing, and enveloped in darkness in a small coffin, when you think about all those things, you may get an uneasy feeling in your stomach and feel scared. When this happens, you need to listen to what nature is telling you and nature will be there to comfort you.

Passage #3 (lines 17-22)

In just a few days [in a short time] you won’t be seen by the sun anymore as it makes its journey across the sky. You also won’t exist (in your current form) in the dirt where you were buried by your crying loved ones. You also won’t exist (in your current form) in the ocean.

Passage #4 (lines 22-29)

The earth has given you all your food and made you grow. When you die, you will return to the earth again; you will decompose and give everything you have back to the earth. You’ll be a part of earth like a rock or a piece of dirt that people walk all over and farmers plow [and grow food in].

Passage #5 (lines 29-33)

The oak tree’s roots will grow through the dirt that used to be you. But you won’t be alone as your body rots in the soil forever, and you couldn’t ask for a better spot to spend eternity.

Passage 6 (lines 33-37) (This is second hour’s paraphrase of passage 6)When you die, you will be put in the ground with all of the kings and great people of the past in one great tomb [the earth].

Passage #7 (lines 37-45)

The hills, old as the sun, the silent valleys stretched between them, the old forest, the waters that look powerful, the streams that help the fields grow, and the gloomy ocean: all these natural landmarks are decorations on this earth, which is the big grave of humanity.

Passage #8 (lines 45-50)

Throughout all of time, the heavens and planets are shining down on the big grave, which is our world. The living people on the surface of the earth are a small fraction of the number of dead people buried in the earth.

Passage #9 (lines 50-57) (This is second hour’s paraphrase of passage 9)

If you fly away to any remote part of the earth, to the desert of Barca, North Africa, if you get lost in the tranquility of the endless woods where you come upon the relaxing Columbia river (where there is no [civilization], no sound except the rushing of the water), in all these places are the remains of dead people. Millions of people, since the start of time, have died and now their remains exist in these remote places. They are the only trace of humanity there.

Passage #10 (lines 58-66)

What if you are no longer alive, and no one notices you are gone? [Don’t feel bad because] everyone will soon follow the same path. After you die, happy people will continue to party, serious people will keep working, and everyone will continue to strive towards their goals, chasing their dreams, but they will all leave their favorite things to do and their jobs, and they will die and be buried with you [in the earth].

Passage #11 (lines 66-72)

Eventually everyone will face death and take their turn to die. It doesn’t matter if they’re a baby or an old man, male or female, married or unmarried; they’ll all die and be buried with you [in the earth]. They’ll be buried by others who will then die and be buried with you too.

Passage #12 (lines 73-81)

Live life to the fullest so when death comes to you, you can go to that mysterious realm honorably, not like a slave being shoved into a cage. Instead, take comfort [because you know you’ll still exist as part of nature] and embrace death with peace as if you were going to bed.