Procedure:1. Day 1 – Begin class with the Quickwrite (slide #1 on the Prezi). Give students 8-to-10 minutes to silently write their responses and then transition into a full-class discus-sion. To increase students’ comfort level, I begin by de-scribing my own fears about dying and tell the story of a summer day I almost drowned and how terrifying the experience was for me. Then, I call on student volunteers to share their thoughts about death/dying. After about 10 minutes of class discussion, begin to transition the conver-sation toward William Cullen Bryant, explaining how he was also interested in this idea.2. Present the Prezi slides, which introduce Bryant and give students helpful prep info. before they begin reading the poem.3. Pass out copies of the poem (page 2 of this download) and read the poem aloud to the class. It’s a challenging poem, so I move slowly, stopping often to check for comprehension.4. After the read-ing, explain that Bryant’s ideas have been echoed by many other artists, including in a famous song called “Dust in the Wind” by the band Kansas. Then, play the song for students. You could play the original version found here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH2w6Oxx0kQBut my student just cannot handle all of that 70’s man hair. Instead, I use one of two other versions, depending on the students in my class. If I’m teaching a serious-minded class filled with members of our school’s orchestra or marching band, I use the Frederic Turyan cover here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62wjHMaU4fEIf, though, I’m teaching a rowdier class with kids who aren’t always as focused on academic success, I use the PelleK cover here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxZq0cgNwyo PelleK is a metal singer who brings a unique intensity to the song that my students like.

5. Finally, hand out a copy of the questions that go along with the poem (page 3) and have students begin writing their answers, either as a solo assignment or in teams of two. Students probably won’t have time to finish, so you can assign the rest as homework or give the beginning of class time on Day 2 for students to complete the questions.6. Day 2 – If needed, allow students to finish writing their answers to the “Thanatopsis/Dust in the Wind” questions.7. After collecting their papers, lead a full-class discus-sion of the answers to the questions. Reviewing the an-swers to the questions is an important step, as it will help

solidify students’ understanding of Bryant’s work. The discussion is always rich and serves as a good model for students who might struggle with analy-sis of poetry.8. Explain to stu-dents that the ideas presented in “Thanatopsis” are

also found in our world today. Hand out the informational text article (page 5) and read it together with the class. Then, hand out the questions on page 6. Depending on the time available, you may want to have students write out their answers to the questions individually or just use the questions as a small-group or full-class discussion guide.9. Finally, if you enter “near death experience” into YouTube, you’ll find multiple videos about this issue that you may (or may not) want to share with your students after they’ve read and discussed the article, especially that final question on the page 6 handout. I think this video is particularly well-made, but I can’t confirm the validity of any of the information presented: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg5_hMr8Cfo

ThanatopsisBy William Cullen Bryant

Hope you and your students enjoy these materials!

Want more high-interest American Lit. lesson materials? Click here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Laura-Randazzo/Category/American-Literature-40247

The planets, all the infinite host of heaven,

Are shining on the sad abodes of death,

Through the still lapse of ages. All that tread

The globe are but a handful to the tribes

That slumber in its bosom. — Take the wings

Of morning, pierce the Barcan wilderness,

Or lose thyself in the continuous woods

Where rolls the Oregon, and hears no sound,

Save his own dashings — yet the dead are there:

And millions in those solitudes, since first

The flight of years began, have laid them down

In their last sleep — the dead reign there alone.

So shalt thou rest, and what if thou withdraw

In silence from the living, and no friend

Take note of thy departure? All that breathe

Will share thy destiny. The gay will laugh

When thou art gone, the solemn brood of care

Plod on, and each one as before will chase

His favorite phantom; yet all these shall leave

Their mirth and their employments, and shall come

And make their bed with thee. As the long train

Of ages glide away, the sons of men,

The youth in life’s green spring, and he who goes

In the full strength of years, matron and maid,

The speechless babe, and the gray-headed man —

Shall one by one be gathered to thy side,

By those, who in their turn shall follow them.

So live, that when thy summons comes to join

The innumerable caravan, which moves

To that mysterious realm, where each shall take

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.

To him who in the love of Nature holds

Communion with her visible forms, she speaks

A various language; for his gayer hours

She has a voice of gladness, and a smile

And eloquence of beauty, and she glides

Into his darker musings, with a mild

And healing sympathy, that steals away

Their sharpness, ere he is aware. When thoughts

Of the last bitter hour come like a blight

Over thy spirit, and sad images

Of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall,

And breathless darkness, and the narrow house,

Make thee to shudder, and grow sick at heart; —

Go forth, under the open sky, and list

To Nature’s teachings, while from all around —

Earth and her waters, and the depths of air —

Comes a still voice —

Yet a few days, and thee

The all-beholding sun shall see no more

In all his course; nor yet in the cold ground,

Where thy pale form was laid, with many tears,

Nor in the embrace of ocean, shall exist

Thy image. Earth, that nourished thee, shall claim

Thy growth, to be resolved to earth again,

And, lost each human trace, surrendering up

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 mould.

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. The hills

Rock-ribbed and ancient as the sun, — the vales

Stretching in pensive quietness between;

The venerable woods — rivers that move

In majesty, and the complaining brooks

That make the meadows green; and, poured round all,

Old Ocean’s gray and melancholy waste, —

Are but the solemn decorations all

Of the great tomb of man. The golden sun,Than

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1. ere – before2. pall – a cloth spread over a coffin3. narrow house – a grave or tomb4. list – listen5. voice – in the next section, the voice ofNature speaks directly to the reader6. rude swain – a rough country kid7. share – plowshare, a piece of farmingequipment8. hoary seers – old people who couldpredict the future9. sepulchre – a tomb or burial chamber10. Barcan – an area in north Africa11. Oregon – another name for the ColumbiaRiver in the northwest region of the U.S.12. So... – the voice of Nature has endedand we return to the narrator’s voice in this last section

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I close my eyes only for a moment,and the moment’s goneAll my dreams pass before my eyes,a curiosity

Dust in the wind,all they are is dust in the windSame old song,just a drop of water in an endless seaAll we do crumbles to the ground,though we refuse to see

Dust in the wind,all we are is dust in the windNow, don’t hang on,nothing lasts forever but the earth and skyIt slips away,and all your money won’t another minute buyDust in the wind,all we are is dust in the wind(all we are is dust in the wind)Dust in the wind(everything is dust in the wind),everything is dust in the wind (the wind)

1. Early in the poem, Nature is an example of personification, as it is given human qualities and characteristics. Does Bryant present Nature as male or female? Why do you suppose Bryant chose this gender?

2. Find and write two lines that present death as sleep.

3. Find and write two lines that present death as a return to the earth.

4. Toward the end of the poem, the narrator sug-

7. Is it comforting or creepy to think that the soil you walk on contains the remains of billions of deceased people? Explain your thoughts.

8. In the Kansas song, the lyrics state that “nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky.” Find and write text from Bryant’s poem that expresses this same idea.

9. Comparing “Thanatopsis” to the “Dust in the Wind” lyrics, which piece is intended to be more comforting to the audience? Defend your answer with at least two concrete pieces of evidence.

gests that we shouldn’t view death as though we are slaves being sent to a dungeon. In-stead, what image does he want us to imag-ine?

5. The title of the poem is rather unusual and, at first, confusing for anyone who hasn’t studied Greek. Suppose Bryant had in-stead called this poem, “A View of Death.” Would this title be better or worse? How would it change the reader’s experience? Explain your opinion.

6. The poem is written in blank verse, meaning each line is built in iambic pentameter and the poem doesn’t rhyme. Iambic pentameter is a fancy way of saying 10 syllables (pentameter) where the emphasis is placed on the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th syllables. (Ex: To him / who in / the love / of Nat / ure holds) Go back through the poem and write two single lines that could have more than 10 syllables, depending on how the reader pronounces the line.

ThanatopsisBy William Cullen Bryant 1817

Dust in the WindBy Kansas 1977

– Dust in the Wind, Kansas

Directions: On a separate sheet of paper, answer the questions below. To receive credit, you must write complete, thoughtful sentences.

1. Early in the poem, Nature is an example of personification, as it is given human qualities and characteristics. Does Bryant present Nature as male or female? Why do you suppose Bryant chose this gender? Nature is presented as female, as evidenced by the “her” pronouns. This version of nature is soft and warm and comforting, like a maternal form or a sweet, caring lover. This feels like a nod to the idea of Mother Nature.

2. Find and write two lines that present death as sleep. Students’ answers will vary, but here are two possibilities:1. “All that tread / the globe are but a handful to the tribes / That slumber in its bosom.” (lines 48-50)2. “...yet all these shall leave / Their mirth and their employments, and shall come / And make their bed with thee.” (lines 64-66)

3. Find and write two lines that present death as a return to the earth. Students’ answers will vary, but here are two possibilities: 1. “...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...” (lines 25-28)2. “The oak / Shall send his roots abroad, and pierce thy mould.” (lines 29-30)

4. Toward the end of the poem, the narrator suggests that we shouldn’t view death as though we are slaves being sent to a dungeon. Instead, what image does he want us to imagine? The narrator suggests we instead view death as soothing as curling up for a nap on a warm, comfy couch.

5. The title of the poem is rather unusual and, at first, confusing for anyone who hasn’t studied Greek. Suppose Bryant had instead called this poem, “A View of Death.” Would this title be better or worse? How would it change the reader’s experience? Explain your opinion. Students’ answers will vary and this question may lead to a good debate during a full-class review of the answers with your class. Some students will say that the updated title is clearer and would improve a reader’s understanding of the work, making it more approachable to the masses. Others will argue that the Greek-based title is more weighty, giving greater importance to the work and challenging the reader in a positive way. All reasonably defended answers should be given credit.

6. The poem is written in blank verse, meaning each line is built in iambic pentameter and the poem doesn’t rhyme. Iambic pentameter is a fancy way of saying 10 syllables (pentameter) where the emphasis is placed on the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th syllables. (Ex: To him / who in / the love / of Nat / ure holds) Go back through the poem and write two single lines that could have more than 10 syllables, depending on how the reader pronounces the line. Students’ answers will vary, but here are two possibilities:1. Communion with her visible forms, she speaks (line 2)2. The planets, all the infinite host of heaven, (line 46)As we review the answers for this question, I like to challenge students by inviting a volunteer to say the lines aloud both with extended syllables and with fitting the language into the 10 syllables. (Ex: “visible” can be pronounced with two or three syllables: vis-ible or vis-i-ble.)

7. Is it comforting or creepy to think that the soil you walk on contains the remains of billions of deceased people? Explain your thoughts. Students’ answers will vary.

8. In the Kansas song, the lyrics state that “nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky.” Find and write text from Bryant’s poem that expresses this same idea. Students’ answers will vary, but the sun is referred to as “ancient” (line 38) and “infinite” (line 46). Also, the narrator of Bryant’s poem says our bodies will “mix forever with the elements,” meaning the earth will be around forever even though we will not (line 26).

9. Comparing “Thanatopsis” to the “Dust in the Wind” lyrics, which piece is intended to be more comforting to the audience? Defend your answer with at least two concrete pieces of evidence. Students’ answers will vary, but I think “Thanatopsis” is less depressing. First, the narrator flatters us and says we’ll rest in death with kings. Second, he regularly compares death to sleep and the closing image of lying on a warm, cozy couch is soothing, not scary. The Kansas lyrics don’t have any of those comforting elements.

Thanatopsis/Dust in the Wind worksheet answers

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At some stage, you will die. You may not know the time, date or circumstance of your death, but you do know it’s inevitable. Contemplating this fact can be uncomfortable. It evokes anxiety and fear in most people.

But not those people who have had a near-death experience (NDE). NDEs are extraordinari-ly profound mystical or transcendental occur-rences, during which the boundaries between space, time and normal perceptual awareness become blurred.

They can include ele-ments such as travel through a tunnel, seeing a bright light, an out-of-body experience, and meeting deceased others and spiritual beings.

They are typically reported by people who have had a close brush with death, or have died and been resuscitated. Recent research suggests they occur during the time period when physical functioning is severely compromised or non-existent.

Not all people who have a close brush with death or who are resuscitated have an NDE, nor do those people, on the whole, lose their fear of death. So, it is rather curious that people who have had an NDE typically report a complete loss of the fear of death.

Why is this so? Perhaps it is the paradoxically pleasant nature of the experience. Many people report feeling overwhelmingly positive emotions during their NDE, including peace, unconditional love and joy.

In many Western cultures, thinking of death can be so disturbing that unspoken taboos exist. We rarely talk about death, and keep it hidden within the far-reaches of the psyche.

Yet, some people who have had NDEs suggest the apparent experience of death is an altogether pleasant one that should not be feared. Others say they felt as though they were disembodied, and existed as a state of mere consciousness. Seeing one’s body and resuscitation efforts, or other events

Article used with permission. Original text can be found at: https://thecon-versation.com/death-isnt-scary-if-youve-had-a-near-death-experience-32557

Death Isn’t Scaryby Natasha Tassell–Matamua

(If you’ve had a near-death experience)

Lecturer, School of Psychology, Massey University

occurring outside the vicinity of one’s body, can also happen.

There is a widespread belief in Western cultures that death is the end, but many people who have had a NDE say this is not so – the feeling of having conscious awareness and existing outside of one’s physical body suggests the self does not end. Controversially, NDEs indicate the self may continue,

at least for a period of time, after the physical body stops functioning.

Movement through a tunnel, often at great speed, seeing a bright light, meeting de-ceased others, seeing beauti-ful otherworldly scenes, and coming to a border of no re-turn, are commonly reported features of an NDE.

Combined, they can cement the belief that the NDE pro-vided a glimpse of a world

we move to when our physical bodies die. Another realm exists, these reports seem to suggest.

There is nobody judging your deeds when you die. Nobody, that is, except yourself. At least, that’s what those who have had an NDE say.

Recent large-scale studies conducted across the US, UK, Austria and Belgium have provided credible findings to suggest NDEs may actually be real phenomena. But the debate about the “realness” of NDEs is likely to continue for many years, if not decades, to come.

Whether they are verifiably real occurrences that can be scientifically quantified or not is, in many ways, irrelevant. What is significant is that people who have had NDEs universally report a complete loss of the most existential of human fears – something even the most advanced psychotherapies cannot achieve.

People who have had a NDE don’t wish for death. They want to live and fulfill their destiny. But when death finally calls, they will not be afraid. And that is quite extraordinary.

Questions for “Death isn’t Scary” Article

1. What are some of the common features during near-death experiences that people have reported?

2. After people have near-death experiences, why, accord-ing to Tassell-Matamua, do these people say they no lon-ger fear death?

3. Tassell-Matamua says, “Controversially, NDEs indi-cate the self may continue, at least for a period of time, after the physical body stops func-tioning.” Why might this idea be controversial? What two groups would argue about this idea?

4. The writer also suggests that one of the sources of the positive feelings during a NDE is that no one is “judging your deeds when you die. Nobody, that is, except yourself.”

Is she right in assuming that one of the main things that make life miserable is other people’s judgment of you? Explain your thoughts on this idea.

5. Look at the paragraph where Tassell-Matamua discusses “recent large-scale studies.” What’s missing from this section that would add more credibility to her argument?

6. According to the article, why might a near-death experience be more useful to a person than years of therapy with a psychologist?

7. If you could ask Tassell-Matamua a question about

her work, what would you ask?

8. Have you or anyone you’ve known had a near-death ex-perience? If “yes,” please tell the story.

Directions: On a separate sheet of paper, answer the questions below.To receive credit, you must write complete, thoughtful sentences.

Questions for “Death isn’t Scary” Article

1. What are some of the common features during near-death experiences that people have reported?

2. After people have near-death experiences, why, accord-ing to Tassell-Matamua, do these people say they no lon-ger fear death?

3. Tassell-Matamua says, “Controversially, NDEs indi-cate the self may continue, at least for a period of time, after the physical body stops func-tioning.” Why might this idea be controversial? What two groups would argue about this idea?

4. The writer also suggests that one of the sources of the positive feelings during a NDE is that no one is “judging your deeds when you die. Nobody, that is, except yourself.”

Is she right in assuming that one of the main things that make life miserable is other people’s judgment of you? Explain your thoughts on this idea.

5. Look at the paragraph where Tassell-Matamua discusses “recent large-scale studies.” What’s missing from this section that would add more credibility to her argument?

6. According to the article, why might a near-death experience be more useful to a person than years of therapy with a psychologist?

7. If you could ask Tassell-Matamua a question about

her work, what would you ask?

8. Have you or anyone you’ve known had a near-death ex-perience? If “yes,” please tell the story.

Directions: On a separate sheet of paper, answer the questions below.To receive credit, you must write complete, thoughtful sentences.

1. What are some of the common features during near-death experiences that people have reported? Students’ answers will vary, but the article says these include travelling through a tunnel often at a great speed, seeing a bright light, meeting deceased loved ones, coming to a border or point of no return, and/or seeing beautiful otherworldly scenes.

2. After people have near-death experiences, why, according to Tassell-Matamua, do these people say they no longer fear death? The people report pleasant emotions that go along with these experiences, including feelings of peace, joy, and unconditional love. Something that seemed scary prior to the NDE no longer seems that way to them.

3. Tassell-Matamua says, “Controversially, NDEs indicate the self may continue, at least for a period of time, after the physical body stops functioning.” Why might this idea be controversial? What two groups would argue about this idea? The idea of a spirit or “self” apart from the physical body is scientifically difficult (or even impossible?) to prove. This idea would pit scientists against religious believers.

4. The writer also suggests that one of the sources of the positive feelings during a NDE is that no one is “judging your deeds when you die. Nobody, that is, except yourself.” Is she right in assuming that one of the main things that make life miserable is other people’s judgment of you? Explain your thoughts on this idea. Students’ answers will vary and any reasonable answer should be given credit. This question will likely be the source of an interesting class conversation as you review answers with a full-class discussion.

5. Look at the paragraph where Tassell-Matamua discusses “recent large-scale studies.” What’s missing from this section that would add more credibility to her argument? She is incredibly vague here, not providing any details or source information about these studies. A skeptical reader would want more concrete data than she is giving here.

6. According to the article, why might a near-death experience be more useful to a person than years of therapy with a psychologist? Tassell-Matamua says that the people who’ve had a NDE report “a complete loss of the most existential of human fears.” A fearless life would be a joy, since we wouldn’t be held back from achieving our goals and our doubts would probably be eased or even erased. This type of person wouldn’t need the services of a therapist because he/she would be living a fulfilled life.

7. If you could ask Tassell-Matamua a question about her work, what would you ask? Students’ answers will vary and any reasonable question should be given credit. I’d probably ask if she knows of any reports of people reporting bad or scary near-death experiences and what she makes of those reports.

8. Have you or anyone you’ve known had a near-death experience? If “yes,” please tell the story. Students’ answers will vary and any answer, even just a simple “no,” should be given credit.

“Death Isn’t Scary” non-fiction worksheet answers

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