Transcendentalism

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.

Transcendentalism-names to remember!

Henry David Thoreau

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Margaret Fuller

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-RelianceTheme: to know, trust, and believe in yourself.

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

Self-RelianceGalileo: Italian astronomer and physicist

Newton: English mathematician and physicist

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 Disobedience,” page 380.

What does is mean to be civil?

Henry David Thoreau Civil: Courteous and polite; Can also describe things related to a community of people and their government, or a civilization.

Henry David Thoreau

So what does “Civil Disobedience” mean?

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.

Poetry TermsStanza: group of lines in a poem, separated by spaces.

Couplet: two line stanzaQuatrain: four line stanzaCinquain: Five line stanzaRhyme Scheme: Pattern of rhyming words in a poem.