Concord

Ralph Waldo Emerson is a famous essayist, poet, and speaker from the mid 19th century. In one of his essays he wrote: “ Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.” This quote has only been attributed to him in the past few decades after he died. I agree with this statement because if you do not try anything new then you will not gain new skills, you will miss opportunities to make new friends, and you will not learn about new opportunities you may…

The term transcendentalism is a system of integrated thoughts from ideological thinkers who lived during the 19th century. In Michael Donovan’s poem, “It’s All-On-Me,” Donovan is speaking on the idea of leaning on his own understanding, to somewhat follow his heart. Many other poems and stories written by former transcendentalist have the same main idea. Authors such as, Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, use this type of thinking process to portray a life where the nonconformist of…

What is solitude? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines solitude as the quality of being alone or remote from society. Henry David Thoreau’s “Solitude” from Walden revolves around the concept of solitude, including the misconceptions about it. Thoreau uses solitude as a positive way to promote the company of nature, rather than the company of other humans. However, he believes that an individual can only choose from the two, since being surrounded by one more than the other will not have the…

Thoreau recalls the several places where he nearly settled before selecting Walden Pond, all of them estates on a rather large scale. He quotes the Roman philosopher Cato’s warning that it is best to consider buying a farm very carefully before signing the papers. He had been interested in the nearby Hollowell farm, despite the many improvements that needed to be made there, but, before a deed could be drawn, the owner’s wife unexpectedly decided she wanted to keep the farm. Carolyn Chang Honors…

How does one live simply, according to Thoreau? “She says that she felt the necessity of wearing other than a traveling dress, when she went to meet the authorities, for she was now in a civilized country, where people are judged by their clothes” (Thoreau 305 Kindle). Thoreau believes that a life should be lived simply. At the beginning of Walden, he says, “Simplify, simplify, simplify”(Thoreau 1287 Kindle). Thoreau's advice would apply well to today's society lived in civilization, exposed to…

Transcendentalism is the understanding of the idea that the people have a deep relation with nature and to see beyond the natural world. It basically means when one communicates and finds themselves through nature. The authors who wrote greatly about transcendentalism are Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. This is how transcendentalism came to be. The transcendental thoughts include: non-conformity, self-reliance, free thought, confidence, and the importance of nature. Non-conformity…

Through Chris McCandless’s life and the teachings and writings of Thoreau, readers come to understand the philosophy of Transcendentalism. Transcendentalism is formed on the belief that human beings have self wisdom. It also deals with the betterment of self. Nature also plays a big part of this as well. The Transcendental beliefs that Chris McCandless follows under the teachings of Thoreau are self- wisdom, freewill, and individualism. One of the first transcendental beliefs that Chris…

Transcendentalist thinking flourished in the nineteenth century and inspired many philosophers and literary writings. Transcendentalist believe that organized religion and society corrupted people and made them impure. The belief was that when a person chose to free themselves of a specific rule set that they would become spiritually and mentally free and independent. Transcendentalist believed that people were good and that everyone has a purpose on earth. Transcendentalism took root in…

In Lawrence and Lee's play, "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail," Ralph Waldo Emerson's maxim of "Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind," is evident within the text. The maxim itself means that we should place our own decisions above all else. From this meaning the theme of personal morality having importance in the individual can be applied to the maxim, and therefore the play's events. "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail," details Henry David Thoreau's experiences of following…

Walden, by Henry Thoreau, is a book that reflects upon leading a simple life in the nature. Thoreau settles by the Walden Pond and begins to experience the nature. The Bean Field and Brute Neighbors from Thoreau’s experiences in Walden demonstrate an important aspect of life. In The Bean Field, Thoreau describes his life in cultivating beans on a rural field. Meanwhile, Thoreau explains his observation of the ant combat in Brute Neighbors. Overall, The Bean Field and Brute Neighbors suggest…