Transcendentalism And Walden Comparison

Between the works of two of the most well known Transcendentalist writers, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, the comparison between one of their most famous works, Self Reliance and Walden, shows how their ideas were alike. Emerson served as Thoreau's mentor and influence for many of his literary efforts. Since Emerson had such an impact on Thereau, the pieces seem comparable due to the fact that they wrote stories based their knowledge and beliefs on Transcendentalism. Some examples of how these writings are alike are the similar ideas of conformity, how there should be more focus on the individual or yourself, and the use of imperative sentences to get readers to understand the theme. In this time period, most people would like to stick with tradition and the same regiment everyday. Others such as Emerson and Thoreau write about how they …show more content…
By the use of those sentences, the reader can understand that the meaning of Self Reliance is that being a nonconformist individual is that right pathway in life. In Walden, man must set out and follow his dreams and work to get where you want to go. Both themes result in their ideas of straying away from tradition and rules and work on yourself. In conclusion,* Emerson's and Thoreau's ideas were very similar in both stories because of their visions as Transcendentalists. Self Reliance and Walden are compared to each other by their similar ideas of conformity, how there should be more focus on the individual or yourself, and the use of imperative sentences. There were some differences to each piece by usage of extended metaphors, rhetorical questions, and different sentence structure to emphasise each others point to the theme; but overall the two writings were very parallel to each