Transcendentalism

Transcendentalism

Brandy Waldrop

Transcendentalism was a literary and philosophical movement whose roots were in the New England region of the United States. European Romanticism was an influence in that there was a belief in extraordinary reasoning beyond physical perception. Transcendentalists were more concerned with spiritual fulfillment over material. It was believed that fulfillment could be achieved by surrounding oneself with nature and assimilating in it. Ideas such as embracing individuality and self-awareness were introduced. Equality was one of the strongest traits in Transcendentalism as well. It is no surprise that around the time of the movement, civil and women’s rights’ issues were addressed. Famous Transcendentalists include Walt Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. They challenged society with unconventional ideas in their works.

Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” is considered to be his most Transcendentalist work because of its celebration of the individual self and its connection with the universe. From the moment the speaker awakes, his exploration and self-awareness is proclaimed. The third stanza, “For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you,” indicates that every soul is of equal importance. Grass, an otherwise ordinary element of nature, symbolizes the miracle of living things. Nature plays an especially important role in how it is embraced. The speaker catalogs many animals and plants in order to show his connection to nature. Whitman's optimistic view on the death of human beings and its relationship with nature can be best summed up in stanzas 45-49:

They are alive and well somewhere,

The smallest sprout shows there is really no death,

And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not

wait at the end to arrest it,

And ceas'd the moment life appear'd

This outlook on death puts it in a positive light rather than negative by implying that life lives on through newer forms of life. “Song of Myself” was not written in a traditional style and is free-flowing, just as the idea of Transcendentalism.

Individuality and believing in one's self was very paramount to the Transcendentalist philosophy. Ralph Waldo Emerson expresses the importance of individuality so eloquently in "Self-Reliance." Just as the title suggest, Emerson states that trusting in one's self is the most important thing. The opening line, "There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide;..." suggests that when one concerns themselves with being like everyone else, their own identity disappears. He uses examples of famous people throughout history such as Jesus and Galileo as individuals who were once misunderstood that went on to be great and highly revered. Emerson would eventually become a pioneer of free-thinking that would encourage people to follow their own hearts. Instinct would almost always be correct without the influence of outside advice. He was not afraid to express that nonconformity was a beneficial trait. He believed that nonconformity was the only way to live a life that is true. Solitude was something that was the key to