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In this excerpt from the poem "Thanatopsis" by William Cullen Bryant, what is the meaning of the word swain?

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 mold.

User IntoOrbit
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2 Answers

6 votes

a young shepherd or country boy

User Gustavo Daniel
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6 votes

He talks about a"swain" – a young shepherd or country boy

Hope this helps

User J David Smith
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