Walden and Transcendentalism Essay - 1545 Words

WALDEN AND TRANSCENDENTALISM Henry Thoreau’s masterpiece, Walden or a Life in the Woods, shows the impact transcendentalism had on Thoreau’s worldview. Transcendentalism is a philosophy that asserts the primacy of the spiritual over the material. Transcendentalism puts the emphasis on spiritual growth and understanding as opposed to worldly pleasures. Thoreau’s idea of transcendentalism stressed the importance of nature and being close to nature. He believed that nature was a metaphor for spiritual enlightenment. A walk in the woods therefore was a search for spiritual enlightenment. One should look ‘through’ nature, not merely ‘at’ her. In Walden, Thoreau’s idea of transcendentalism is broken into three areas. The†¦show more content†¦Thoreau takes great pains to describe each character, even down to the farmer’s â€Å"wrinkled, sibyl-like, cone-headed†[3] infant in chapter 10, â€Å"Baker Farm†. He makes sure his readers unders tand the unique attributes of each individual in his experiences. As Thoreau once said, â€Å"It is what a man thinks of himself that really determines his fate.† The final prominent transcendentalism theme expressed in Walden is the importance of experiences. Transcendentalists believed personal experience is how one learned. Literally, people learned everything the hard way. Thoreau demonstrated this clearly in the experiment of living in the woods for two years. He explains in Walden that he wanted to experience living simply for an extended period of time. Notice that Thoreau did not speculate, draw conclusions, or even ask someone who had tried it. The only way, in his mind, that he was going to learn about living simply was to undergo it personally. In speaking about life in the chapter, â€Å"Where I lived and What I Lived For†, Thoreau said,â€Å"†¦if [life] proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion.†[4] He emphasized living and feeling everything to be able to understand life and its meaning. Walden is often viewed as simply a proponent ofShow MoreRelatedThoreau And Transcendentalism Analysis828 Words   |  4 PagesThoreau’s views on Transcendentalism and how he practiced it. If it has not become apparent thus far Emerson and Thoreau were close friends and lived with each other on occasion. Naturally because of their close friendship they influence each other’s work, but in most cases you can see Emerson’s influence in Thoreau’s works clearly. His is the main difference between the two writers however in their belief and writing patterns Thoreau loved nature. Thoreau’s love of nature can e explained here inRead MoreThe True Transcendentalist: Thoreau and Emerson775 Words   |  3 PagesAnother wonderful literary movement is the Romanticism which was filled with emotion, individuality, and nature. But one of the greatest literary movements the one that will be focused on is transcendentalism. Transcendentalism is intuition and individual conscience that helps lead to the truth. When transcendentalism began to start two people played a major role Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, but who is truly a transcendentalist. Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston, MassachusettsRead MoreNature Ralph Walden Emerson and Henry David Thoreau Walden1693 Words   |  7 PagesSELDA PUR 2009105153 ‘NATURE’ AND ‘WALDEN’ ‘Nature’ and ‘Walden’ are two art works basically giving the similar messages to the readers. Their writers are different but one of the things which make these works similar is Henry David Thoreau is affected by Ralph Waldo Emerson’s works and ideas very much. Secondly, their essays are both inspired from transcendentalism movement. Finally, their theme are both the same, they deal with mainly the idea of ‘nature’. While comparing these two essays, it isRead More Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau as Fathers of Transcendentalism730 Words   |  3 Pagesas Fathers of Transcendentalism Transcendentalism was a movement in writing that took place in the mid-nineteenth century. It formed in the early to mid nineteenth century and reached it climax around 1850 during an era commonly referred to as the American Renaissance, America’s Golden Day, or the Flowering of New England. The basic tenets of Transcendentalism involve the relationships between one’s self and the world at large. First, the search for truth in Transcendentalism begins withRead MoreThe Literary Movement of Transcendentalism Essay examples872 Words   |  4 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Transcendentalism was a literary movement in the first half of the 19th century. The philosophical theory contained such aspects as self-examination, the celebration of individualism, and the belief that the fundamental truths existed outside of human experience. Fulfillment of this search for knowledge came when one gained an acute awareness of beauty and truth, and communicated with nature to find union with the Over-Soul. When this occurred, one was cleansed ofRead MoreTranscendentalism: Henry David Thoreau Essay1096 Words   |  5 Pagesand eventually led him to write Walden (Henry David Thoreau, Discovering Biography). Walden was also inspired by Transcendentalism, a literary movement that challenged the use and need for material objects and religious evidence. Transcendentalism provided Thoreau with a different view on humanity and religion. Thoreau wrote Walden to document his years spent living at Walden Pond and to express his ideas on the simplicity and individual nature of humanity. Walden is a series of loosely strung togetherRead MoreHenry David Thoreau s The Wilderness Of Walden Pond Essay1626 Words   |  7 Pages Though the reasons for their pilgrimages were different, transcendentalists emphasized journeys into nature. Henry David Thoreau, perhaps the most famous transcendentalist, wrote Walden on his time spent in the wilderness of Walden pond. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote Nature on his walks into the woods. Much of Emerson’s works were on intuition and self-reliance. Jeremiah Johnson is a modern movie that seemingly adopts the ideas of these transcendentalist authors into a narrative about a man who leavesRead MoreTranscendentalism: The Antidote to Brainwashed Youth Essay697 Words   |  3 PagesWhen I was first exposed to the concept of Transcendentalism in my English class, the idea seemed farfetched and rather abstract. Upon further readings and research, I discovered that the concepts, although they originally seemed esoteric, where works of true brilliance. Society has made it hard for individuals to exist when things like popular culture seemingly brainwash youth into doing whatever is considered â€Å"cool†. Transcendentalism is a powerful concept which should be acknowledged by myRead MoreEarly American Transcendentalism1204 Words   |  5 PagesEarly American transcendentalism has one of the greatest influences towards American society because it is not only a philosophy, but also a religion and physical progression. During the early nineteenth century, Ralph Emerson, Henry Thoreau, and other radical individuals challenged the present day theories of values, ethics, and what it means to live life to the fullest (Timko). If early American transcendentalists were living among civilians today, would present day civilians think the earlierRead MoreEssay on Transcendentalism vs. Anti-Transcendentalism778 Words   |  4 Pagesbelief called Transcendentalism. He wrote the essay, â€Å"Self Reliance† and Henry David Thoreau, another Transcendentalist wrote an essay called, â€Å"Walden.† Both works of literature focus on the Transcendentalism belief. In â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hawthorne reveals both Transcendentalism and Anti-Transcendentalism through the attitudes of the characters. Therefore, â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† can be compared and contrasted with both â€Å"Self Reliance† and â€Å"Walden.† During the