Romanticism and Transcendentalism Essay

Transcendentalism was a literary and philosophical movement in the early 1900s in the U.S. It is based on the philosophy that an individual must be self-reliant and independent to be at their best. Transcendentalist believed that organized religious and political institution ruined the pureness of an individual. Furthermore, they assumed that every person has the knowledge about themselves and surroundings around them that go beyond what they sense (hear, taste, feel and see) through…

historical reform movements took place, including transcendentalism, a version of European romanticism centered around the Transcendental Club. Following the example of romanticism, transcendentalists practiced a mixture of religious, philosophical, and social ideas that focused on the study of nature, intuition, feelings, and individual acts of heroism. The Transcendental Club, a group of literary leaders, used these ideas to spread transcendentalism through their own writing, and the writing…

his ideology was not clearly defined even to himself. In the burrows of Mt. McKinley, Chris McCandless died of starvation in 1992. Many esteem his ideals, but controversy remains on whether his death was necessary. Despite Krakauer’s undeserved romanticism in Into the Wild, McCandless was not justified in shunning society in pursuit of individualism as he misinterpreted transcendentalist teachings and was fiercely ignorant, even in spite of Emerson’s and…

Transcendentalism is an idea that came about in roughly 1836 in the middle of the Romantic Era. Transcendentalism is a philosophy that centers itself around one’s own intuitions rather than later teachings. Since Transcendentalism is a subset of American Romanticism, it encouraged people to think on their own and individualize themselves. Transcendentalists believed in experiencing the world for what it was and learning through experience. They also believed that society interfered with one’s…

is said to have given way to the era of Romanticism which began in Europe during the mid/late 18th century as a revolt against the aristocracy and the corresponding politics of the Age of Enlightenment. European Romantic ideals influenced visual arts and music. More importantly, however, European Romanticism influenced literature and set the precedent for future literary movements such as the American Transcendentalist movement. American Transcendentalism initiated during…

spirit. The emergence of a unique American culture cannot be separated from its European roots, and while Transcendentalists were struggling against the entrapments of the “Old World” it was the fruits of European Romanticism which enabled their movement to take flight. Transcendentalism found…

movements, both writers share similar ideas in their works. Hawthorne led the Romantic movement and, more specifically, Dark romanticism, while Emerson contributed to Transcendentalism. Romanticism includes that nature should be revered, cherished, and studied to its fullest capacity. The ultimate understanding and self-guidance is to be found in nature. Furthermore, Dark romanticism centered around the notion that sin, hostility, and self-destruction occurs naturally and inevitably within…

literary writing. Poe known for Romanticism, and Whitman known for Transcendentalism leading into Realism. While their writings held similarities such as reverence for nature and the individual, Poe focused more on an escapism world for his readers rather than Whitman, who focused on the details of everyday and urban life. These two authors exemplify the major shift in national thinking during the 19th century, exiting the 18th century and entering the 20th. Romanticism emerged mainly as a…

Transcendentalism is a very formal word that describes a very simple idea. People, men and women equally, have knowledge about themselves and the world around them that "transcends" or goes beyond what they can see, hear, taste, touch or feel. This knowledge comes through intuition and imagination not through logic or the senses. People can trust themselves to be their own authority on what is right. A transcendentalist is a person who accepts these ideas not as religious beliefs but as a way of…

American Transcendentalism was a great movement in the middle of the nineteenth century (Campbell). Two of the most influential, transcendentalist writers of this era is Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Emerson and Thoreau expressed similar meanings in their stories. Emerson’s The American Scholar explains the functions, virtues, and roles of an individual. Thoreau’s Walden is a continuation of Emerson’s The American Scholar, in that Thoreau gives a deeper explanation of the…