Transcendentalism

Transcendentalism

What does Transcend mean?

To rise above or go beyond the limits of

Transcendentalism

• belief in a higher kind of

knowledge than that achieved by human reason

Major Beliefs

• Relationship between man and nature.

• Heightened awareness of this relationship would cause a “reformation” of society away from materialism and corruption.

Transcendentalists Themes

• Nature

• Individualism

• Simplicity

• Nonconformity

• Self-reliance

Nature

• Nature held the truths of life

• Nature was innocence and escape from the evils of society

Individualism

• Inner truth is the only thing that matters

• The soul is something equally available to all people

• Fulfillment comes from knowing one’s self, not wealth, gender or education

Simplicity

• Transcendentalists enjoyed a life with absence of luxury, and instead filled with plainness

nonconformity

• Refusal or failure to conform to accepted standards, conventions, rules, or laws

• absence of agreement or harmony

Self-reliance

• Reliance on one's own capabilities, judgment, or resources; personal independence.

Who were the primary Transcendentalists?

• Ralph Waldo Emerson

• Henry David Thoreau

Ralph Waldo Emerson

• 1803-1882• Unitarian minister• Harvard graduate• Famous for writing Self-

Reliance, Nature• Banned from Harvard for

40 years following his Divinity School address

• Supporter of abolitionism

Henry David Thoreau

• 1817-1862• Graduated Harvard at

age 20• Most famous for writing

the book Walden and Civil Disobedience

• A dedicated nonconformist: tried to live by his own values instead of society's

Henry David Thoreau

• Lived alone in the woods for 2 years and 2 days as an experiment. The book, Walden, was written during this time.

• His essay, Civil Disobedience, calls for the deliberate refusal to obey laws that violate one’s personal principles.

• He live out what he believed. He refused to pay his taxes. He felt that the taxes supported a war with which he did not agree. He spent the night in jail for refusing to pay his taxes (an aunt paid them on his behalf and he was released

Resources

• American Transcendental Web: http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/index.html

• American Transcendentalism: http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/amtrans.htm

• PAL: Chapter Four http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap4/4intro.html

Transcendentalism Project

To become more familiar with the writing of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, you will be creating a book of quotations from their writing that appeals to you in some way. For each quotation, you will include an explanation of what the quote means to you. Two of these quotations will be illustrated. You will also make connections to the modern world by choosing song lyrics that reflect similar themes. For each song lyric, you will also include an explanation of how it reflects transcendental ideas.

• Your TYPED booklet will contain:• 5 quotes (with explanations- AT LEAST 2-3

SENTENCES) *Clearly identify writer and essay*

• An illustration for each quote – 5 TOTAL (original drawings, paintings, photos or images from computer) **NO CARTOON CLIPART

• 2 song lyrics (with explanations of how the song relates to the ideas of Transcendentalism- AT LEAST 2-3 SENTENCES)

• You may organize your booklet by theme (self-reliance, individualism, nature, simplicity, nonconformity, etc…) or just by quotes that are meaningful to you.

• Make a cover with design (include name, original title, English III/PERIOD)

• There should be one page per quote/lyric. • Be sure to include songs/essay titles as

well as the writers’ names.

• You may choose meaningful quotes from:

• “Nature” by Emerson pg 367-368

• “Self-Reliance” by Emerson pg 369-370

• “Walden” by Thoreau pg 379-387

• “Resistance to Civil Government”by Thoreau pg 388-389

• This (TYPED) major grade is due: Wednesday, January 4th.

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