Sources: "American Transcendentalism: A Brief Introduction." by Paul P. Reuben Perspectives in American Literature Transcendentalism pbs.org Transcendentalism by David L. Simpson, DePaul University
Transcendentalism: American literary and philosophical movement that began in New England in the 1830s. The movement declined by the Civil War (1861-1865) Famous Transcendentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson Henry David Thoreau Nathaniel Hawthorne Walt Whitman Emily Dickinson Louisa May Alcott
The transcendentalist "transcends" or rises above the lower animal impulses of life. God is a Life Force found in humans and nature, so going to holy places is unnecessary. Institutions such as organized religion and political parties corrupt the purity of the individual. People and nature are inherently good. Studying nature helps you know yourself. Intuition is better than rationality. People are at their best when "self-reliant" and independent
Nature Intuition Independence Individuality Self-reliance Storm in the Mountains by Albert Bierstadt Transcendentalist Painter
1817 1862 American author, poet, tax resister, philosopher, abolitionist, and leading transcendentalist. Thoreau s most famous works: Walden: a reflection on living a simple life in natural surroundings Civil Disobedience: an essay that encourages disobedience to an unjust government/society
Nathaniel Hawthorne said: "[Thoreau] is as ugly as sin, long-nosed, queer-mouthed, and with uncouth and rustic, though courteous manners, corresponding very well with such an exterior. But his ugliness is of an honest and agreeable fashion, and becomes him much better than beauty.
Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women, said about Thoreau s facial hair: [It] will most assuredly deflect amorous advances and preserve the man's virtue in perpetuity."
In 1845, Thoreau began a 2 year experiment in simple living at Walden Pond in Concord, MA. During that time, he wrote Walden. Part memoir and part spiritual quest, Walden explores simplicity, harmony with nature, and personal independence.
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. from Walden by Thoreau
Source: Poetry Foundation
Longfellow circa 1850 Fanny, 2 nd wife Charles, son
1807-1882 Achieved international acclaim in his lifetime First American to translate Dante s Inferno
Highly accessible Influenced by European poetry he often imitated their styles and themes. Formal rhyme and meter Common themes: faith, nature, morality
1819-1892 During the Civil War, Whitman visited injured soldiers in Washington, DC, dressing their wounds and comforting them
Abandoned traditional poetic pattern, style, and meter Style and subject are expansive and ambitious Form is free flowing and irregular Common themes: democracy, Civil War, nature, love, friendship
1830-1886 Extremely introverted, reclusive Wrote nearly 1,800 poems, but only a few were published in her lifetime. These were greatly altered by publishers First volume of poetry published posthumously in 1890, heavily edited Full collection published in 1955 1998 publication the first to completely restore her original punctuation and spelling choices Dickinson circa 1846
No titles Short lines Slant rhyme Unconventional capitalization and punctuation First person Sharp-sighted observer Common themes: death and immortality Dickinson circa 1846
c. 1818-1895 Former slave Son of a slave woman and an unknown white man Experienced brutality and cruelty as a slave
Famous speaker gave speeches his entire adult life. Leading spokesperson for the abolition of slavery Most famous work: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass