Romanticism and Transcendentalism Essay

In Yukio Mishima’s novel, The Sound of Waves, the use of nature and the evidence of traditionalism are both concepts that are instrumental in forming the plot and of themes of the story. Traditionalism, which is a belief, and nature, which is seen as divine power, coexist in The Sound of Waves, where the acts of nature in the novel often work in ways to support the traditionalistic views of pre-modern Japan. To be able to fully analyze the effects traditionalism has on nature in the novel, one…

When one is a child the essence of innocence is still embedded in our hearts and the ability to be ourselves still overflows through our everyday actions. Nevertheless, as we develop we tend to grow out of that state of mind and we start becoming aware of the judgmental society we reside on. Hence, individuals may become more confirmative and afraid to express their true emotions to the world with the fear that their true self will be rejected by society. Ralph Waldo Emerson a transcendentalist,…

In Henry David Thoreau's Walden, Thoreau consistently emphasizes the value of a transcendent life. The transcendent life as described by Thoreau, is a life that is lived with purpose, individuality, simplicity and one that is connected with the beauty of nature. Given this, it is reasonable to conclude that if Thoreau were alive today he would be dissatisfied with how conformist, institutionalized, and materialistic society has become. Thoreau believed that it was critically important to live…

The premise of this chapter is as follows: science has played a major role in transforming our Western worldviews, specifically the Western perception of nature/wilderness. In this text, Oeschlaeger discusses the evolution of the term nature, and how it is perceived throughout history (beginning at the Middle Ages) by society. Oeschlaeger states that nature is seen as mythless and infinitely plastic in today’s society. The author compares medieval and Christian perspectives on nature. The…

There is a great quote that was once said by Margaret Wolfe Hungerford; “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. This quote could easily be used to describe one man named Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau (1817-1862) was a well-known naturalist writer. He has written many passages about what he sees as beautiful which is the natural world around him. In his eyes, the world is a beautiful place that needs to be written about. Some of Thoreau’s work includes “Life without Principle”, “Walking”, and…

It is said that ‘mountains and waters’ is a way to refer to the totality of the process of nature. For ancient Japanese, mountains were the mysterious place that offer them source of life. Even in the modern days, mountains relate to many incidents that cannot be explained; thus, it makes us to think that there is something sacred in the mountain. In case of water, water is source of life that surrounds and comes out from the mountains. While wise people try to travel the mountain, they tend to…

Literature teaches us many things on a daily basis. Different ways to look at life, at nature, at the people around us. It brings us into a whole new world that we can only see by reading the words of others. Eagleton, Nietzsche and Emerson give us that opportunity to see life in a different way by the lessons they write about. These writings have their differences but also connect with each other in some way. Eagleton, Nietzsche and Emerson were important writers of their time periods.…

of the Stonewall Riots originates from ideals in the Transcendentalist era. Transcendentalism was an American movement in both philosophy and literature, lasting from 1836 to 1860. Beginning as a movement for reform in the Unitarian Church, it branched off from William Ellery Channing's’ views of an “indwelling God and the significance of intuitive thought” (American Transcendentalism by Donna M. Campbell). Transcendentalism was a belief system that showed the significance of every individual,…

When describing his “first principle” of existentialism, Sartre describes that man is nothing beyond what he chooses to make of himself. This can easily be connected to Emerson’s theories of individualism and nonconformity. Emerson stresses that one should follow their free will and make choices based on what their own minds tell them to do, not on what society expects them to do. Sartre’s emphasis on free will and subjectivity align with Emerson’s theories that one should act int terms of what…

All of the men were non-conformists but had different ideals of transcendentalism. Ralph Waldo Emerson was the first and glorified writer, the others followed his footsteps, Thoreau being his immediate student. Thoreau swayed from Emerson’s ideal, but nowhere near as much as Walt Whitman, who was easily the weirdest one of…