Thanatopsis
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"Thanatopsis" is an early poem by the American poet William Cullen Bryant. Meaning 'a consideration of death', the word is derived from the Greek 'thanatos' and 'opsis'.
An 1878 portrait of William Cullen Bryant
Thomas Holley Chivers
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Thomas Holley Chivers was an American medical doctor-turned-poet from the state of Georgia. He is best known for his friendship with Edgar Allan Poe and his controversial defense of the poet after his
Thanatopsis
…considered by many to be the first major book of American poetry. Nevertheless, over five years, it earned Bryant only $14.92. Poet and literary critic Thomas Holley Chivers, who often accused other writers of stealing poems, said that the only thing Bryant "ever wrote that may be called Poetry is 'Thanatopsis,' which he…
Thomas Holley Chivers
Eonchs of Ruby (1851)