The Role And Essence Of Nature In Walden By Henry David...

Transcendentalists believed in several topics including civil disobedience, simplicity, and self-reliance, but one of the most important ideas is that of the role and essence of nature. Transcendentalists like Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Emerson, and Walt Whitman disconnected from society and secluded themselves in nature, and disregarded the superficial characteristics that are so often noted to find a significant meaning in their lives. Henry David Thoreau advocates escaping the instability of society and delving into nature to understand oneself and to learn the lessons that need to be learned for one to function in the insanity of man’s world and its contrived notions. While, Ralph Waldo Emerson analyze the world and discovers that it†¦show more content†¦From the excerpt above, Thoreau sees the possibility of the divine in the pond, he notes the surface, which anyone has the possibility of see, but he also notes the bottom of the pond, which could easily be seen a s depth, in the sense of spirituality. The mist could easily be construed as an emotion that would keep an individual from progressing, that emotion being doubt, mainly self-doubt. Thoreau uses this imagery to help explain the concept of nature helping one’s self find spirituality to balance and sturdy their will, so they will not be corrupted by society. Even in ‘Civil Disobedience’, Thoreau connects nature, law, and society. Thoreau states that most men are in an extreme uncertainty, and that is what keeps them from trapped under the government because Thoreau believed that any man was capable of achieving spiritual awareness. The awareness would then assist an individual understand the nature of man, and they would, then, be steadfast in their beliefs and uncertain about nothing. The government was also the reason that he returned to the natural world for two years and two months. Thoreau strongly believed that the highest law is/was not made by man but consec rated by nature. However, In Emerson’s ‘Nature’, Emerson complains aboutShow MoreRelatedEgoitarianism In Henry David Thoreau1662 Words   |  7 Pagesmost respected and honored writers in all of American literature, millions have idolized Henry David Thoreau for his transcendental ideologies seen throughout many of his works, such as â€Å"Walden†. However is this respect deserved? Thoreau critics describe him as a very conceited, hypocritical, and egotistical individual who had little respect or empathy for humanity. On the other hand, those in praise of Thoreau describe his writing as unparalleled in terms of detailed descriptions, observations, andRead More Emerson and Thoreau Represent American Identity1511 Words   |  7 PagesCompare and contrast the way in which Emerson and Thoreau represent American Identity. â€Å"Identity means who a person is, or the qualities of a person or group which make them different from others,† (Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Third Edition). Every individual, group and country has their own identity which makes them different from others and it shows uniqueness of oneself. Reaction against the existing philosophy takes place when there is conflict in interest amongst the philosophersRead MoreHenry David Thoreau Essay3362 Words   |  14 PagesHenry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau was a man who expressed his beliefs of society, government, and mankind while living under his own self-criticism. Thoreau believed he had many weaknesses which made him a failure. This strong disapproval of himself contrasted with his powerful words and strong actions. These contradictions led to some of Thoreaus greatest pieces of literature. Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12, 1817, in his grandmothers house. ThoreauRead MoreThe American Scholar By Ralph Waldo Emmerson2349 Words   |  10 Pagesdoes not fit into a single category, such as a farmer, office worker, or lawyer, but as a completely prepared individual being, he understands that something is wrong with society’s view of the individual. Stated in his paper, an idea about society’s role in the alteration of Man’s destiny is discussed. Emmerson believes that society has divided Man so that individuals are broken from their human form. Likening it to separating parts of the body, he states that this kind of â€Å"new† man is like a loneRead MoreTranscendentalism And Its Impact On Society2407 Words   |  10 Pagesfocus on wealth, which is causing many to lead unfulfilled lives of quiet desperation. One can achieve a life of contentment by applying the ideology of Transcendentalism. Concepts of Transcendentalism, such as nonconformity, immersing oneself in nature, and spirituality, c an guide an individual to self-fulfillment. Because of the prevalence of quiet desperation in industrialized societies, Transcendentalism is a much needed movement. In the early nineteenth century, the Transcendentalist movementRead MoreVoice of Freedom Notes Essay2481 Words   |  10 Pagesthe end he finds this innate. He comes to a conclusion where he believes they should be emancipated but after they must leave the US he doesn’t see a future where blacks will be considered equal members. Chapter 8 45. William Manning on the Nature of Free Government He writes and displays America’s political thought of his time. 46. Address of the Democratic-Republican Society of Pennsylvania The opposers of the Federalists justified their existence where the developed a defense ofRead MoreMagical Realism As A Sense Of Psychological Mystery And Wonder3415 Words   |  14 Pagesemotional cues regularly was Gabriel Mà ¡rquez. In one of his more known stories, â€Å"One Hundred Years of Solitude†, emotions as well as the familiar essence of time are explored. Mà ¡rquez makes it a point to display in this story how time is repeated, and through this message, one may be able to learn about the future purely by interpreting the past. David Gallagher of The Guardian proves that, â€Å"All human activity may indeed seem fleeting and cyclical in a continent ravaged by earthquakes, floods, droughtsRead MoreEssay about Sukmynuts3542 Words   |  15 PagesThe aspirations the reporter thinks are uppermost in the immigrant’s minds is hope, freedom, and a chance to work, and food to the laboring man. 53. A Woman in the Westward Movement 1. Moving west altered tradition expectations of women’s roles by proving that they could endure rough conditions from moving west. They were left to be lonely and the burdens of pioneer life. 2. Mrs. Noble’s main complaints about her situation on the frontier was carrying her infants and not being ableRead MoreWalts Whitmans Vision of America in Leaves of Grass17685 Words   |  71 Pagesthe†© same†© mistakes†© their†© forefathers†© had†© made†© in†© Europe,†© such†© as†© engaging†© in†© wars†©and†©having†©social†©inequalities.†© He†© thought†© that†© people†© were†© willing†© to†© make†© things†© change†© and†© that†© America†© was†© going†© to†© be†© some†© kind†© of†© role†© model†© for†© the†© rest†© of†© the†© world†© to†© imitate,†© like†© a†© second†© chance†©given†©to†©humanity†©to†©start†©over†©and†©build†©a†©society†©free†©from†©hatredâ € ©and†©violence.†© 1†©Whitman,†©Walt,†©Leaves†©Of†©Grass.†©The†©Modern†©Library:†©NY,†©2001.†©Ã‚ «Song†©Of†©Myself »,†©page†©113