Essay About Ralph Waldo Emerson And Following Lines

Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism was a literary movement in the first half
of the 19th century. The philosophical theory contained such
aspects as self-examination, the celebration of individualism, and
the belief that the fundamental truths existed outside of human
experience. Fulfillment of this search for knowledge came when
one gained an acute awareness of beauty and truth, and
communicated with nature to find union with the Over-Soul. When
this occurred, one was cleansed of materialistic aims, and was left
with a sense of self-reliance and purity. Two authors who were
among the leaders of the movement were Ralph Waldo Emerson
and Henry David Thoreau, whose works “Nature”,
“Self-Reliance”, and “Walden” brought America to the forefront of
the transcendentalist movement. Their ideas opposed the popular
materialist views of life and voiced a desire for freedom of the
individual from artificial restraints. They felt that if they explored
nature thoroughly, they would come to know themselves and the
universal truths better.
The concept of transcendentalism is clearly expressed in the
essay “Nature”, by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson was a leader
in the movement of transcendentalism and the first American
author to influence European thought. His essay “Nature” tells of
how one can gain insight and spiritual cleansing simply from
experiencing nature. Emerson tells of how “in the woods is
perpetual youth” and “in the woods we return to reason and faith.”
These lines exemplify the very ideals of transcendentalism. They
show the deep roots a person has in nature and how one can
receive knowledge of their Over-Soul by honestly enjoying the
outdoors and freeing oneself of previous evils. In the following
lines, Emerson remarks:
“Standing on the bare ground- my head bathed by the blithe
air and uplifted into infinite space- all mean egotism
vanishes. I become a transparent eyeball: I am nothing; I see
all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me;
I am part or parcel of God.”
These lines display the transcendentalist belief that purity and
knowledge can be obtained from a union with and understanding of
nature.
Emerson also relates the concept of transcendentalism to
human life in his essay, “Self-Reliance.” In this aptly named essay,
Emerson grapples with another part of transcendentalism, the issue
of “self-reliance.” He sees mankind as somewhat of a coward; that
people never express their true selves. Emerson claims that humans
are afraid to fail; they are pleased if successful, but are never
happy with where and what they are. He expresses
transcendentalist ideals by saying that a true person would be a
non-conformist. Emerson puts this belief into words in the
following lines:
“There is a time in every mans education when he arrives at
the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that
he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion.no kernel
of nourishing corn can come to him