Henry David Thoreau Essay

Transc force outentalism is a very important move workforcet that occurred non simply in literature besides in exitlihood as advantageously. The transcendentalist motion was a movement that was basi omeny the thought of all unity having an over-soul. The over-soul is the thought of a relationship among God, someoneality, and domain. The movement had many different characteristics alike(p) individuality, feelings universe priority over reason, the fact that nature was divine, and that nature held uprightnesss.Transcendentalists apply the truths that they observed in the world and in nature to transmit the way society was and how sight see themselves in the world. Although the idea of a utopia was non achieverful, the movement sparked a change in literature. Emerson and Thoreau argon the two people most associated with transcendentalism. They some(prenominal) wrote essays near their experiences in nature and influenced many other spell outrs to do the selfsame (prenominal) (hence the transcendentalist movement). The transcendentalist thought is especially apparent in Walt Whitman and Emily Dickensons work.Whitman and Dickenson both show many traits of the movement, entirely the most apparent trait is individuation. Individualism is a lot portrayed in Emerson and Thoreaus work as world tally. Everyone has a soul, upcountry truth is the lone(prenominal) thing that matters, and fulfillment comes from knowing ones self. In Emersons essay Nature, he describes man as being universal and related. In the advert . . . that great nature in which we rest . . . that Unity, that Over-Soul, deep down which all mans failicular being is contained and made one with all other.. . . We go in succession, in division, in parts, in particles. Meantime within man is the soul of the whole the wise inhibit the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related the eternal ONE. Emerson is precept that all men move over souls an d that each soul is a part of an in time bigger soul, the universal soul. This is basically saying that we are all equal, except at the same time we are separated because we each have a soul of our own. In other essay, self-reliance, he stated Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood?Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood In this, he is saying that being misunderstood is being great. This withal says that being misunderstood is forgetting what society says you should be or act like and doing what you ask to do in order to find yourself and be your own person. By not caring astir(predicate) what others may animadvert near your choices and decisions, you can be your own person and set an example for others to do the same.Not alone was Emerson talking astir(predicate) being an individual, he was overly adding a bit about your feelings being more than important that reason. Thoreau in any case issues about individualism in his essays. In Walden, Thoreau writes about the experiences and breeding of his biography. He writes if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to bide the life which he has imagined, he will meet success unexpected in common hours. This is saying that you should live the way that you indirect request to live and that your inner truth or inner desires are all that matter.Everyone has inner truth and desires and to live the life that you want to live then you should go for the dreams that you have always valued to come true. This is a prime example of individualism because everyone has dreams and inner truths about the way that they want to live and it is completely up to them to live the way that they want to live. He also addresses individualism in another essay titled civic Disobedience. He writes But, to verbalize practically and as a ci tizen, unlike those who call themselves no disposal men, I ask for, not at once no governing, but at once a mend government.Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one tone of voice towards obtaining it In this, he is supporting(a) people to give birth a stand for the rights and respect they deserve. In a way, he is telling people to stop ignoring the raw government and do something about the way you feel. This is screening again how everyone has inner truth and they should do something to change the way the world is to be bankrupt. Thoreau wanted the government to change and so he spoke about what he believed to be true.This is him showing his individualism and encouraging others to communicate up as salubrious about the truth that they believed. Like Emerson and Thoreau, Whitman and Dickenson have both used individualism in their works, but Whitman does a better job at portraying it. In Whitmans song Song of Myself, Whitman writes about everyone being equal and having equal opportunities. He states I am of old(a) and young, of the foolish as much as the wise, no matter of others, ever regardful of others, maternal as well as paternal, a child as well as a man, stuffed with the stuff that is course, and stuffed with the stuff that is fair In this quote he is comparing add up opposites to each other. This is a way of showing how even the opposites are the same. Regardless of others, ever regardful of others heart and soul that others pie-eyed nothing to you, yet others look about everything to you. Its contradicting, but in a way that says although others mean nothing to you, they affect you in certain ways. Everyone affects you, but you are not everyone. You are simply yourself and that is what I get from what Whitman was describing.In another part of the poem, Whitman says I am as bad as the worst, but thank God, I am as near(a) as the best. This quote stands out because it means no one is better than anyone. Just because you dont get in trouble doesnt mean you are any less wrong or less bad. Just because you do good things doesnt mean you are any better creation good is simply being good and the same goes for being bad. No one is any better or worst. This means that everyone is equal and has equal opportunities. Dickenson also uses individualism as a theme in some of her works as well.In the poem Heaven Has Different SignsTo Me, Dickenson writes The Rapture of a done for(p) DayReturning to the WestAll these instigate us of the place, That Men call paradise In this poem Dickinson is describing what heaven would be like. This quote refers to the end of the day for men. Individualism is living the way you want and reaching fulfillment. This quote shows how men are carry out in their lives and of what they call paradise. To me, I dont think she is writing about heaven, I think she is writing about a utopia. She is writing about a place that everyone is equal an d enlightened.Dickinson and Whitman both write about being equal and living the life that you want to lead. Even though they both write about individualism, Whitman portrays it much more and it is more apparent. They were both influenced by the transcendentalist movement, but Dickinson focuses on other traits like how nature is beautiful and simple and the relationship that nature, life, and ending have. The transcendentalist movement may be over, but it remaining an imprint in literature. Many people speak of individualism and the name most associated with it in the movement is Walt Whitman.Works Cited Poemhunters. com. N. p. , n. d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. Quotations by Author. Walt Whitman Quotes. N. p. , n. d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. Thoreau, total heat D. Civil Disobedience by atomic number 1 David Thoreau. Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau. Jone Johnson Lewis, n. d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. Thoreau, Henry D. Walden. N. p. Jalic, 2003. Print. Whitman, Walt. (1836)Nature. Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Oregon State College, n. d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. Whitman, Walt. Self Reliance. Mrgunnar. net. N. p. , n. d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.