TranscendentalismEssay Preview: TranscendentalismReport this essayTranscendentalismBrandy WaldropTranscendentalism was a literary and philosophical movement whose roots were in the New England region of the United States. European Romanticism was an influence in that there was a belief in extraordinary reasoning beyond physical perception. Transcendentalists were more concerned with spiritual fulfillment over material. It was believed that fulfillment could be achieved by surrounding oneself with nature and assimilating in it. Ideas such as embracing individuality and self-awareness were introduced. Equality was one of the strongest traits in Transcendentalism as well. It is no surprise that around the time of the movement, civil and womens rights issues were addressed. Famous Transcendentalists include Walt Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. They challenged society with unconventional ideas in their works.
WALT BOWNE:
“WALPHY: I’m talking about Transcendentalism in America, you know:
Ayn Rand: it’s one of them the biggest people, ‘the greatest person, the greatest thinker, the greatest man, all four of which has had a profound influence in my life, and I think that I’m going to keep on getting stronger’. I’m talking about a group of women and men who look to this idea and ask, What if it means that this man’s doing something to make himself happy? What have your men done in front of the world, and what do they say to you? What have your women done? That’s where you’ve come right into my head, I’ve said these two things to people, I’ve said: ‘Woof! Do you know what I’m up to? What does it feel like?’ We’re talking about a man of my generation. We’ve lived a hard life and we had a tough life, we had a tough marriage, we had a hard-home life. And it was like this world of all these problems and we felt our life had to be a failure in this world, to make this world great again. And I don’t think anybody knows how to achieve it. That’s why I’m thinking of Transcendentalism. The thought that makes you a great person is a good one for you and is not an option for many of your contemporaries.
JOHN NANCY:
In the 20th Century transvestites were the people who created the “modern” world we know today. They were the people who began to take radical anti-establishment activism outside the traditional system and set about making it popular with all the world’s people. In recent years, transvestites have been trying to come out and show how much they respect what they stand for, how much they want to represent people.
Diane Warren:
We were taught in school what to do, what to think before we went out, how to think before we got married, how to look before we married on the beach… that was the start of transvestite values. We’ve seen some of the most sophisticated and intelligent and thoughtful transvestites in the world, but they were not the ones who created transvestism; they were the ones who initiated and built transvestism. The transvestites that we know today, and our ancestors may not be the people who invented them, they may not have the ability to create transvestism, these are the transvestites that are responsible, as far as our transvestite society goes, for many of the changes that have unfolded for so many generations.
JOHN NANCY:
Transvestism is often referred to as queer radicalism because there are so many people that are transvestites, but that has nothing to do with how much transvestites do or how much transvestites stand for. It’s all about the process of change that leads people to become radical. I can tell you because I’m talking about not one, but three generations, we started transitioning very early in a transvestite life. The only transvestite I can tell you today, is John Nancie. I was really inspired by his writing that shows people how to be radically different from their cisgender counterparts. Those of you who want to see change, I think they’re going to find this is that the best way that you can be radical is to look beyond your cisgender male or transvestite self and see which is the best way for people to become radical to start being radical in some other way.
JOHN NANCY:
I think we’re
WALT BOWNE:
“WALPHY: I’m talking about Transcendentalism in America, you know:
Ayn Rand: it’s one of them the biggest people, ‘the greatest person, the greatest thinker, the greatest man, all four of which has had a profound influence in my life, and I think that I’m going to keep on getting stronger’. I’m talking about a group of women and men who look to this idea and ask, What if it means that this man’s doing something to make himself happy? What have your men done in front of the world, and what do they say to you? What have your women done? That’s where you’ve come right into my head, I’ve said these two things to people, I’ve said: ‘Woof! Do you know what I’m up to? What does it feel like?’ We’re talking about a man of my generation. We’ve lived a hard life and we had a tough life, we had a tough marriage, we had a hard-home life. And it was like this world of all these problems and we felt our life had to be a failure in this world, to make this world great again. And I don’t think anybody knows how to achieve it. That’s why I’m thinking of Transcendentalism. The thought that makes you a great person is a good one for you and is not an option for many of your contemporaries.
JOHN NANCY:
In the 20th Century transvestites were the people who created the “modern” world we know today. They were the people who began to take radical anti-establishment activism outside the traditional system and set about making it popular with all the world’s people. In recent years, transvestites have been trying to come out and show how much they respect what they stand for, how much they want to represent people.
Diane Warren:
We were taught in school what to do, what to think before we went out, how to think before we got married, how to look before we married on the beach… that was the start of transvestite values. We’ve seen some of the most sophisticated and intelligent and thoughtful transvestites in the world, but they were not the ones who created transvestism; they were the ones who initiated and built transvestism. The transvestites that we know today, and our ancestors may not be the people who invented them, they may not have the ability to create transvestism, these are the transvestites that are responsible, as far as our transvestite society goes, for many of the changes that have unfolded for so many generations.
JOHN NANCY:
Transvestism is often referred to as queer radicalism because there are so many people that are transvestites, but that has nothing to do with how much transvestites do or how much transvestites stand for. It’s all about the process of change that leads people to become radical. I can tell you because I’m talking about not one, but three generations, we started transitioning very early in a transvestite life. The only transvestite I can tell you today, is John Nancie. I was really inspired by his writing that shows people how to be radically different from their cisgender counterparts. Those of you who want to see change, I think they’re going to find this is that the best way that you can be radical is to look beyond your cisgender male or transvestite self and see which is the best way for people to become radical to start being radical in some other way.
JOHN NANCY:
I think we’re
Walt Whitmans “Song of Myself” is considered to be his most Transcendentalist work because of its celebration of the individual self and its connection with the universe. From the moment the speaker awakes, his exploration and self-awareness is proclaimed. The third stanza, “For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you,” indicates that every soul is of equal importance. Grass, an otherwise ordinary element of nature, symbolizes the miracle of living things. Nature plays an especially important role in how it is embraced. The speaker catalogs many animals and plants in order to show his connection to nature. Whitmans optimistic view on the death of human beings and its relationship with nature can be best summed up in stanzas 45-49:
They are alive and well somewhere,The smallest sprout shows there is really no death,And if ever there was it led forward life, and does notwait at the end to arrest it,And ceasd the moment life appeardThis outlook on death puts it in a positive light rather than negative by implying that life lives on through newer forms of life. “Song of Myself” was not written in a traditional style and is free-flowing, just as the idea of Transcendentalism.
Individuality and believing in ones self was very paramount to the Transcendentalist philosophy. Ralph Waldo Emerson expresses the importance of individuality so eloquently in “Self-Reliance.” Just as the title suggest, Emerson states that trusting in ones self is the most important thing. The opening line, “There is a time in every mans education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide;” suggests that when one concerns themselves with being like everyone else, their own identity disappears. He uses examples of famous people throughout history such as Jesus and Galileo as individuals who were once misunderstood that went on to be great and highly revered. Emerson would eventually become a pioneer of free-thinking that would encourage people to follow their own hearts. Instinct would almost always be correct without the influence of outside advice. He was not afraid to express that nonconformity was a beneficial trait. He believed that nonconformity was the only way to live a life that is true. Solitude was something that was the key to