Question

select all the correct texts in the passage.
which three lines in this excerpt from william cullen bryants \thanatopsis\ best indicate the theme of the poem?

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

Explanation:

The theme of "Thanatopsis" is about facing death with acceptance and peace.

• "So live, that when thy summons comes to join" sets the tone of living to face death's call.
• "By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave," shows approaching death with trust (acceptance).
• "Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams" uses a metaphor of lying down to pleasant dreams to depict peaceful acceptance of death. These three lines best convey the theme.

Answer:

1. So live, that when thy summons comes to join
2. By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave,
3. Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams