Transcendentalism in Henry David Thoreau and Emily...

â€Å"If a person wished to know what transcendentalism was he should empty his mind of everything coming from tradition and the rest would be transcendentalism† (Boller 34). This literary period has dramatically shaped literature and religion, in America. Many writers like Henry David Thoreau and Emily Dickinson have been influence by transcendental ideas. It is astonishing how an inspiring literature movement can change so much of the world’s view and still is around today. Transcendentalism was an American literature movement urging people to look past everyday material life, and reach into their souls to find inner peace with themselves. Transcendentalism originally came from Kantian idealism. This idealism was credited by Immanuel Kant.†¦show more content†¦A Quote from, Emerson Self-reliance tells how people should consider themselves, â€Å"Insist on yourself; never imitate, your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life’s cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another you have an extemporaneous half possession† (Emerson 166). Emerson’s is encouraging people to be self-Reliant and use their own instincts. A person should trust their selves before other; because they are the only ones who can see into their own heart. Transcendentalism has influence the way writers write and live their own lives. Henry David Thoreau was one writer you embraced transcendentalism in every aspect of his life. Emerson’s work influenced Thoreau significantly. In March, 1845, Thoreau began to build a cabin, on the north shore of Waldon Pond. He moved near the pond to establish a life of bare necessities. He wanted to be as close to nature as possible to establish spiritual enlightenment. (McElrath 7) He lived the transcendental idealism. He lived with nature and removed all material life away for himself. He live only with the supplies need to survive. Even by building his cabin he showed many trait of a true Transcendentalist. Thoreau was self-reliant by using his own skill and knowledge to build his cabin. His own instincts was used to place his cabin on Waldon Pond. Transcendentalism also influenced Emily Dickinsons poetic track. Her work is not classified underShow MoreRelated The American Renaissance Essay1 168 Words   |  5 Pagesworks from some of the most brilliant minds in U.S. history, including Ralph Waldo Emersons the Representative Man (1850), Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlett Letter (1850) and The House of Seven Gables (1851), Herman Melvilles Moby-Dick, Henry David Thoreaus Walden (1854), and Walt Whitmans Leaves of Grass (1855). American Renaissance Literary Masterpieces The American Renaissance, a literary and cultural period circa extending from 1820 to the mid-1860s, gained inspiration fromRead MoreAmerican Transcendentalist Writers Essay1160 Words   |  5 Pagesnew form of writing using philosophy as the `vehicle of thought . While this allowed them to explore new and untouched areas in the mind, it also greatly influenced many later writers from Henry Thoreau to the more `popular and recent Mark Twain. Let us begin with Henry Thoreaus Walden. While Thoreau was educated in Harvard University, he lived, through a time of vast change in America. During a rise in cultural expansion and globalisation, America became more unified through the additionRead MoreTranscendentalist Writers : The Transcendentalist Movement Essay1092 Words   |  5 Pagesconcepts of religion and society that was prominent in the eastern region of the United States at the time. Writers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau are the most well-known among transcendentalist writers, possibly because they served as an inspiration to many other writers. Together these transcendentalist writers, including Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and many others, joined the movement and began to spread the transcendentalist philosophy and moral code. Often times, writers that