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What is it?A 19th century literary and philosophical movement, based in New England, claiming that the individual conscience and intuition are key to finding truth, rather than the basic senses and logical reason.
consciencethe inner sense of what is right or wrong in one's conduct or motives, impelling one toward right action.
intuitionThe act of knowing or sensing without the use of rational processes; immediate cognition (awareness).
Transcendentalism
A generation of well-educated people
They lived decades after America won independence from Britain
Transcendentalism
They lived decades before the Civil War (and the division it created)
Mostly New Englanders around Boston
Transcendentalism
They believed it was time for literary independence
So, they deliberately created essays, novels, philosophy, poetry, and other writing different from anything seen in any European nation.
TranscendentalismDuring the Enlightenment, conclusions came about based on experimentation and logical thinking. Now there was a return to the less rational, more intuitive, more in touch with the senses way of thinking – the more ROMANTIC way of thinking.
TranscendentalismGod gave humankind the gift of intuition, the gift of insight, the gift of inspiration. Why waste such a gift?
TranscendentalismThe individual is the spiritual center of the universe.
Wisdom and virtue are derived primarily from the individual’s self-realization.
Romanticism and transcendentalism are very closely related, because Romanticism influenced the ideas of transcendentalism.
Overall, the major differences between romanticism and transcendentalism are their views of nature and the individual.
Romanticism viewed nature as perfect and man as flawed, whereas transcendentalist ideas regard nature as symbolic, providing answers about virtue and wisdom.
Romantics focused on the self more, but not to the extent of the transcendentalists, for whom the individual was the ultimate spiritual being and something you could derive all truth and knowledge from.
TranscendentalismAnd so, Transcendentalism was born! In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"We will walk on our own feet; we will work with our own hands; we will speak our own minds...A nation of men will for the first time exist, because each believes himself inspired by the Divine Soul which also inspires all men.
This group met regularly at Emerson’s house to discuss their ideas related to nature, individuality and the human spirit…what fun!!!
Transcendentalism
Ralph Waldo EmersonBorn in Boston, Mass. in 1803
Came from a poor family but graduated from Harvard
Became a minister.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
An independent thinker, he felt uncomfortable as a church leader and left the ministry.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Talented writer and speaker;
Encouraged people to feel a sense of worth and to think for themselves;
Believed in the goodness of people.
Self-ReliancePage 366Page 391 OPEN YOUR BOOK!
1st Paragraph: Here the author is stating his belief that people should do what they do best and not copy others.
Self-Reliance4th Paragraph: Here Emerson refers to several important people in history who were often misunderstood.
Pythagoras: Greek philosopher and mathematician
Self-RelianceSocrates: Greek philosopher
Martin Luther: German Reformation Leader
Copernicus: Polish astronomer
Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862 Concord, Massachusetts Considered eccentric as a child: * Did not follow rules * Independent * Strong-willed * Not dedicated to his studies
Henry David Thoreau His mother loved nature and was driven; Thoreau eventually ended up at
Harvard; But he always questioned authority; Quit his first teaching job after objecting
to corporal punishment; He and his brother opened their own
successful school.
Henry David Thoreau The school closed after his brother became
ill; Thoreau then was a boarder at Emerson’s
house, doing odd jobs to pay the rent; Fascinated by Emerson’s transcendentalist
beliefs; Decided to spend his life promoting the
Transcendentalist philosophy.
Henry David Thoreau He spent the rest of his life exploring
and writing about the spiritual relationship between humanity and nature and supporting his political and social beliefs.
Henry David Thoreau
For two years he lived alone in a cabin he built for himself at Walden Pond.
Walden is now considered the supreme work of Transcendentalist literature.
When he died of tuberculosis at 44, his work was not recognized.
However, his reputation has steadily grown since his death.
Henry David Thoreau Civil: Courteous and polite; Can also describe things related to a community of people and their government, or a civilization.
Poetry TermsFree Verse: lacks a regular rhythmical pattern or meter.
Meter: rhythmical pattern of a poem, determined by the number and types of stresses, or beats, in each line.
Poetry TermsFoot: two or more syllables that
together make up the smallest unit of rhythm in a poem
an iamb is a foot that has two syllables, one unstressed followed by one stressed
Poetry TermsIambic Tetrameter: Verse written in
four foot lines, each line containing one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
Iambic Pentameter: Verse written in five foot lines, each line containing one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.