TranscendentalismBy Matt Barrage, Andy Hickmann, and Tayler

Wagner

What is transcendentalism? How does it reflect romanticism? Who are the major writers and the works of this group? What impact did they have on America?

Research Topic

TranscendentalismAn American political, literary, philosophical

movement of the early nineteenth century that was centered around Ralph Waldo Emerson(Zalta)

Authors were critics of conformity and urged that individuals should find their own original relationship amidst nature(Zalta)

Transcendentalism (cont.)Began as a protest against the general state

of culture and society (Lewis)

Among the author’s core beliefs, was an ideal spiritual state that is only realized through the individual’s intuition, rather than through the doctrines of religion (Lewis)

Transcendentalism vs. RomanticismTranscendentalists try to find themselves in

nature and make their own identity in society (Lewis)

Romanticism stressed on people to appreciate the beauty of nature and the wild (What)

Transcendentalism furthers the natural beliefs of romantics (Zalta)

Major WritersMovement was lead mainly by Ralph Waldo

Emerson (Ralph)

Other writers included Henry David Thoreau, Amos Bronson Alcott, and Margaret Fuller to name a few (Lewis)

Ralph Waldo EmersonBorn May 25th, 1803Boston, MAHis father, Reverend William Emerson, was a Unitarian

ministerDied when Ralph was only 8 years oldFounded a literary circle called the New England

TranscendentalismWent to Harvard and graduated in 1821Kept a journal that became the source for many

lectures and booksFirst book was called “Nature”Died in 1882 (Ralph)

Works by EmersonNature – 1836

“Self Reliance” – 1841 to 1844

Representative Men – 1860

Conduct of Life – 1860

English Traits – 1865 (Work)

Henry David ThoreauBorn July 12th, 1817Concord, MALegally born David Henry Thoreau Attended Harvard between 1833 and 1837Met Emerson upon returning to ConcordEmbarked on a 2 year experiment of self

living where he moved to small self-built house on land owned by Emerson on the shore of Walden Pond

Died in 1863 (Liukkonen)

Works by ThoreauMost prominent work was “Walden,” also

known as “Life in the Woods” in 1854“A Week on the Concord and Merrimack

Rivers” in 1849Only two books published during his lifetime

“Civil Disobedience,” an essay published in 1849, reflected a night he spent in jail for protesting the Mexican-American war (Peacenik)

Margaret FullerBorn May 23rd, 1810 in Cambridgeport, MABorn Sarah Margaret Fuller OssoliHer dad died and she was put in charge of

teaching her siblings (Sarah)

Works by Margaret Fuller“Summer on the Lake” in 1844

“Woman in the 19th Century” in 1845

“Papers on Literature and Art” in 1846 (Sarah)

Effect on American LiteratureIdeals of transcendentalism called for people to develop their own way in life. Conformity in society was looked down upon because it promoted individuality. It still remains a prominent impact on American literature today.

Works Cited Lewis, Jone Johnson. "What is Trancendentalism?." About.com. N.p., n.d. Web.

2 May 2010. <http://womenshistory.about.com/bltranscend.htm Liukkonen, Petri. "Henry D(avid) Thoreau." N.p., 2008. Web. 2 May 2010.

<http://kirjasto.sci.fi/thoreau.htm>. Peacenik, . "Henry David Thoreau." Answers Corporation , n.d. Web. 2 May

2010. <http://www.answers.com/topic/henry-david-thoreau>.  "Ralph Waldo Emerson." Academy of American Poets, 2010. Web. 2 May

2010. <http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/201>. "[Sarah] Margaret Fuller." American Transcendentalism Web, n.d. Web. 2

May 2010. <http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/fuller/>.  "Work." Columbia University Press, 2007. Web. 2 May 2010.

<http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0857967.html Press>. “What is Romanticism?." Penguin Books, 1991. Web. 2 May 2010.

<http://www.uh.edu/engines/romanticism/introduction.html>. Zalta, Edward. "Transcendentalism." Encyclopedia of Philosophy. University

of Stanford, 24 06 2008. Web. 2 May 2010. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/transcendentalism/>.