the movement, ralph waldo emerson, & henry david thoreau
TRANSCRIPT
Takes place during the early-mid 1800s. The belief that truths about life & death can
be reached by going outside the world of the senses.
Focus on the relationship between man & nature.
Feelings are priority over reason.
What is the movement?
Nature was divine. Nature held the truths. To communicate & be one with nature was
the epitome of “goodness.” Nature was innocence & an escape from the
evils of society.
Characteristics - Nature
Rejection of standard beliefs of society. Inner truth is what matters most. Fulfillment comes from knowing one’s self, not
wealth, gender, or education. Transcendentalism stressed individual choice
and instinct above all other human impulses.
Characteristics - Individualism
The soul is something equally available to all people.
Transcendentalism viewed all aspects of life, including human life, as small and inter-related parts of God, or the Universal Mind.
Characteristics – The Oversoul
Anti-Aristocracy Anti-Slavery Pro-Women’s Rights Quest for Utopia
Characteristics – Moral Enthusiasm
Literature was an important medium used during this movement.
Major authors:◦ Emily Dickinson◦ Edgar Allan Poe◦ Ralph Waldo Emerson◦ Henry David Thoreau
Literary Focus
1838 – Invited to speak at Harvard’s graduation
His remarks outraged the audience. Said that Jesus was not God, which offended
the Protestant community.
Emerson vs. Harvard
Emerson owned the land which Thoreau built his cabin on (Walden Pond).
Provided food to Thoreau, & hired him to work odd jobs.
Had a falling out when Emerson told Thoreau to publish his first book.
Buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (MA).
Friendship with Thoreau
Born in 1817 (Concord, Mass.) Attended Harvard Various occupations:
◦ Pencil maker◦ Farmer◦ Handyman
Henry David Thoreau
Did not fit in with other young men of his time Spent time wandering the fields surrounding
Concord Began his “Walden Pond experiment” on July 4,
1845 (lasted 26 months)◦ Lived on only bare essentials◦ Arrested for not paying taxes during this experiment
(protesting against Mexican/American War)◦ Wrote Civil Disobedience
The source for all of Henry David Thoreau's books was the journal he kept from 1832 until his death in 1862.
Thoreau, cont.