...American Romanticism * Early Romanticism * Washington Irving * James Cooper * Transcendentalism * Ralph Emerson * Henry Thoreau * Others: eg. Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne… * Romanticism---a retrospect * Background of Romanticism in Europe? * The Industrial Revolution * The French Revolution * Ideological change * Definition & Features of Romanticism? * Romanticism(The Romantic Movement) * 5 key features * Romanticism was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe toward the end of the 18th century, recognized for expressions of exoticism, individualism, emotionalism, and the beauty of nature, rejecting the ordered rationality of the Enlightenment as mechanical, impersonal, and artificial. * Imagination; * Nature; * Individualism; * Glorification of the Commonplace; * The Lure of the Exotic * American Romanticism * Time: Romantic period---early 19th century to the outbreak of the Civil War * Forms: novels, short stories, and poems replaced sermons and manifestos as America’s principal literary forms * Background: * exterior: Romantic movement in Europe (inheritance) * interior: Westward movement and economic boom; * Literary themes: * Highly imaginative and subjective * Emotional intensity * Escapism * Common man as hero ...
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...Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless, and Henry David Thoreau embrace the 19th century philosophy of transcendentalism. After reading Into the Wild by Krakauer and Thoreau’s excerpts from Walden readers start to see similarities between McCandless and Thoreau though the transcendentalism theme of nature and social reforms. One of the first transcendentalism beliefs the McCandless follows is nature. For example, McCandless does not always take the easy paths. McCandless says “All hope collapse! The canal does not reach the ocean, but merely peters out into a vast swamp’’ (McCandless 35). McCandless wants new ideas, places, people, and experiences in his life. He does not want the same life every day. McCandless wants to get out of his confront zone and in the world. This directly relates to the idea of Thoreau. In Walden, Thoreau says, “I did not wish to take the cabin passage, but rather to go before the mast and on the deck of the world” (Thoreau). What Thoreau is saying in the quote above is he rather go take a grown up trail nobody has been through in a while than a well know hiking trail, he wants to get out into nature and see what life has in store just like McCandless. In the two quotes quoted above both men in each of the quotes they both wanted the same thing to get out into nature and experience the wildest adventures, not...
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...Treatise of Government, exhibits ideas affiliated with Libertarianism. In contrast to the belief that a priori knowledge is the only kind of knowledge that expresses certainty about ontological truths, which is independent of external experience, Transcendentalism advances the idea that there is also an internal a priori kind of knowledge which is reliable and expresses each individual’s truth. According to the book, American...
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...universe is controlled by some higher being or set of laws. While these two belief systems are so strikingly different, both are equally prevalent in today’s society, and both are needed to keep the world and its inhabitants in balance. More or less, naturalism is the yin to transcendentalism’s yang, and vice versa. Neither view provides a comprehensive set of answers to the world’s most pressing issues, and without equal representation of naturalism’s nor transcendentalism’s traits, the world would lose its sense of levelheadedness and...
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...2. Define and clarify three characteristics of Emersonianism/Transcendentalism Three main characteristics of transcendentalism as defined by Emerson himself in “The Transcendentalist,” are; respect for intuitions, withdrawal from labor and competition, and pursuit of a critical, solitary lifestyle. Transcendentalism can also be defined as a pursuit of the truth. Fundamentally, truth can be anything that an individual believes to be correct, based on his or her own intuition. All generally accepted social beliefs are to be tossed aside and one is to follow his or her instincts. Emerson rejected labor and any outcomes of labor. He did not believe in competition or government but rather in a self propelled world. Living a solitary lifestyle is thought of as an important feature in transcendentalism. Simplicity is said to stem from self-dependency. “Society is good when it does not violate me; but best when it is likest to solitude” (Emerson). It is believed that is one lives a simple life; all will go well for them. These are just three of the many principles and characteristics of transcendentalism. 4. Explain this statement in Thoreauvian terms: “Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison.” This quote taken from Thoreau’s “Civil Obedience,” is a statement that has made a large impression on countless. Thoreau believed that if the government is committing unjust actions, one should put his or her entire selves...
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...PREFACE This major project examines the indispensable desiderata of Transcendentalism in comparison to the Dark Romantics background and how these technicalities prepare this work of art as an influential synthesis of human imagination incorporated with mystic facts. Transcendentalism and Dark Romanticism were two literary movements that occurred in America during roughly the same time period (1840—1860). Although the two had surface similarities, such as their reverence for Nature, their founding beliefs were quite different, enough to make one seem almost the antithesis of each other. Moreover one’s genesis is ventured out from other; i.e. Dark Romanticism from the roots of Transcendentalism or precisely the lacunae are best determined for raising up the term called Dark Romanticism. Contents S. No. Page no. Chapter 1.........................................................................................................4-14 Chapter 2.........................................................................................................15-23. Chapter 3..........................................................................................................24-27 Resolution.........................................................................................................28-29 Work Cited................................................................
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...Gandhi’s vigorous salt march began. Gandhi’s Salt March relates to Thoreau's idea in “Civil Disobedience,” because it shows how Gandhi refused to obey the British law and attempted to make his opinion known. Gandhi’s Salt March emphasizes Thoreau’s idea on how important it is for individuals to come together as a society and voice their opinions to the government on what they believe is right. The Salt March was a reaction to the British tax on salt. Mahatma Gandhi, the British, and some protesters were involved. The British had previously colonized India and therefore were trying to regulate their economy. The Salt March took place in India on March 12, 1930, due to the unreasonable tax on salt, which Gandhi didn’t find fair. He then started a...
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...Transcendentalism became a popular reform movement based upon the individual being the spiritual center of the universe. The social movement has five base themes: nonconformity, self-reliance, free-thought, confidence, and civil disobedience. Two of the central figures of this movement were Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Both men were known for their defiance and free speaking. Their stories, “Self-Reliance” and “Resistance to Civil Government” throughly depicted the transcendental themes of self-reliance and civil disobedience. Along with the two works, the movie Dead Poets Society also has related themes. It is through the main character, Neil Perry’s, nonconformity to his father’s wishes and the teaching of free-thought by his teacher, Mr. Keating, that Dead Poets Society falls in line with the themes of transcendentalism. It is through the...
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...views. These views are theism, transcendentalism, and naturalism. First Week - Introduction The first class covered the introduction ot the Philosophy of Culture course by having us answer seven thought-provoking questions. Each question, though simple, was worded in such a way as to make one think about it in-depth. These questions dealt with our perception of reality and our thoughts concerning life and its meaning. It challenged our religious faith and made us declare not only what we believed, but why we believed it. We read “An Atheist’s Values”, a statement of secular humanism. We then wrote a paragraph describing the views of this type of naturalist. Although brotherly love, courage, cheerfulness, and dignity are promoted in the statement, no basis or foundation upon which these virtues should come is given other than the author’s opinion. We read and discussed in class the three basic world views. By studying these views, we will be able to understand the mindset of those whose world views differs from ours. Second Week – Overview of World Views Theism is the belief in one superior being, a creator or god. This can be broken down even further into monotheistic and polytheistic beliefs. Monotheistic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, believe in one god. Polytheistic religions, such as those practiced by the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, believe in more than one god. Theists believe in a revealed law from a greater being (god). Transcendentalists...
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...Transcendentalism is a pragmatic philosophy, that emphasizes the ideas of individual development and potential. One man who followed the ideas of Transcendentalism was Christopher McCandless- the main character from the movie Into the Wild. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were both influential transcendentalists that preached ideas in their writing. Throughout the movie Chris McCandless followed to large Transcendentalist ideas: living truly to himself, and living with simplicity. Chris does live the life of a Transcendentalist because he chose to leave everything behind him to live his life honestly, and with simplicity to become happy. Living an honest live is acting and believing on what is best for yourself, not what believe or value. Thoreau in Walden in Conclusion, explains the importance of the individualistic lifestyle for everyone. Thoreau says, “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth” (214). This means knowing the truth is the most important thing to know. Thoreau would rather have truth rather than relationships with others, financial success, and social success. The real truth is hiding and for one to find it must, get away from all of the distractions of...
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...The Concept of Nature in the Poetry of William Wordsworth and Robert Frost : A Comparative Study Chapter One Introduction 1. Background Poets have long been inspired to tune their lyrics to the variations in landscape, the changes in season, and the natural phenomena around them. The Greek poet Theocritus began writing idylls in the third century B.C.E. to glorify and honor the simplicity of rural life--creating such well known characters as Lycidas, who has inspired dozens of poems as the archetypal shepherd, including the famous poem "Lycidas" by John Milton. An idyll was originally a short, peaceful pastoral lyric, but has come to include poems of epic adventure set in an idealized past, including Lord Alfred Tennyson's take on Arthurian legend, The Idylls of the King. The Biblical Song of Songs is also considered an idyll, as it tells its story of love and passion by continuously evoking imagery from the natural world. The more familiar form of surviving pastoral poetry that has retained its integrity is the eclogue, a poem attuned to the natural world and seasons, placed in a pleasant, serene, and rural place, and in which shepherds often converse. The first eclogue was written by Virgil in 37 B.C.E. The eclogue also flourished in the Italian Renaissance, its most notable authors being Dante and Petrarch. It became something of a requirement for young poets, a form they had to master before embarking upon great original work. Sir Philip Sidney’s Arcadia and Edmund Spenser’s...
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..."Civil Disobedience" is an analysis of the individual’s relationship to the state that focuses on why men obey governmental law even when they believe it to be unjust. But "Civil Disobedience" is not an essay of abstract theory. It is Thoreau’s extremely personal response to being imprisoned for breaking the law. Because he detested slavery and because tax revenues contributed to the support of it, Thoreau decided to become a tax rebel. There were no income taxes and Thoreau did not own enough land to worry about property taxes; but there was the hated poll tax – a capital tax levied equally on all adults within a community.Thoreau declined to pay the tax and so, in July 1846, he was arrested and jailed. He was supposed to remain in jail until a fine was paid which he also declined to pay. Without his knowledge or consent, however, relatives settled the “debt” and a disgruntled Thoreau was released after only one night. The incarceration may have been brief but it has had enduring effects through "Civil Disobedience." To...
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...Steinbeck’s Philosophical Theory and Influences The Grapes of Wrath, a story of the Joads’ journey from Oklahoma to California in search of the American dream during the Great Depression era. Thousands upon thousands of people had to pack up and leave the land that they were born and raised on due to the Dust Bowl and the banks foreclosing on acres and acres of property. Having lived through this time period, John Steinbeck, the author of the novel The Grapes of Wrath is no stranger to the conditions these people lived in. Traveling with migrant farm workers for a few years in Salinas California, John adopted a very specific philosophical theory from the many influences around him. John Steinbeck’s philosophical theory, including transcendentalism and the concept of the oversoul, humanism, earthy democracy, and pragmatism, all play an important role in the development of his characters in The Grapes of Wrath. To begin, one of the most important characters in the novel, Jim Casy, “the preacher”, single-handedly interprets and embodies the philosophy of the author John Steinbeck and the novel itself. Tom Joad and Jim Casy cross paths while Tom was on his way home to find his family after just being released from prison. The two men, having been long time friends, decide to walk together and catch up. Jim vents to Tom, and tells him about not preaching anymore. “I was a preacher,” the man [Jim Casy] said seriously, “but not no more” (Steinbeck 41). Casy had struggled with being...
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...concentrated on his writing. Thoreau began to adapt to and follow Emerson’s belief in transcendentalism, writing many essays about his belief in transcendentalism. In “Civil Disobedience”, he strongly addresses its readers that they should follow their conscious and not be influenced by a government. In his work “Walden”, Thoreau discusses the insignificance of material goods. He also debates the importance of living close to nature, similar to Emerson’s “Nature”. Some may argue that Thoreau's beliefs and ideas are extreme, but in many ways, they are both idealistic and realistic. While not all of his truths can be classified as realistic, they are ideal. (Witherell and Dubrulle)...
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...Transcendentalism Transcendentalism was an intellectual movement rooted in the religious soil of New England. Transcendentalists turned to the romantics in Europe for inspiration. Many Transcendentalists believed in the importance of nature and degraded materialism. Transcendentalism greatly influenced modern American Literature. 19. Dred Scott He was a slave whose owner had taken him into Illinois and the Wisconsin territory. After his master died, he fought for becoming free and took his case to the congress. Unfortunately, the congress did not support him in the pursuit of his freedom because they said he was not human, so that made him have no voice. 20. 'Weapons of the Weak' The only way that the poor have power is if they work slowly, come in late to work, or talk badly about their bosses. They have little power, but can disrupt a company in small ways. They are more...
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