Henry David Thoreau Essay Example for Free

Henry David Thoreau EssayTranscendentalism is a very important movement that occurred non only in literature scarcely in t genius as well. The transcendentalist movement was a movement that was basically the thought of everyone having an over- person. The over-soul is the thought of a relationship surrounded by God, temper, and man. The movement had many different characteristics like individuality, feelings being priority over reason, the fact that nature was divine, and that nature held truths.Transcendentalists used the truths that they observed in the world and in nature to change the way society was and how throng see themselves in the world. Although the idea of a utopia was not successful, the movement sparked a change in literature. Emerson and Thoreau ar the two people most associated with transcendentalism. They both wrote essays or so their experiences in nature and influenced many other writers to do the same (hence the transcendentalist movement). The trans cendentalist thought is especially apparent in Walt Whitman and Emily Dickensons work.Whitman and Dickenson both show many traits of the movement, notwithstanding the most apparent trait is individualism. Individualism is often portrayed in Emerson and Thoreaus work as being equal. Everyone has a soul, inward truth is the only thing that matters, and fulfillment comes from knowing ones self. In Emersons essay Nature, he describes man as being universal and related. In the bring up . . . that great nature in which we rest . . . that Unity, that Over-Soul, within which every mans particular being is contained and made one with all other.. . . We live in succession, in division, in parts, in particles. Meantime within man is the soul of the whole the wise silence the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related the perfect(a) ONE. Emerson is saying that all men have souls and that each soul is a part of an even bigger soul, the universal soul. This is bas ically saying that we are all equal, but at the same time we are separated because we each have a soul of our own. In another essay, self-reliance, he stated Is it so bad, then, to be misconstrue?Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood In this, he is saying that being misunderstood is being great. This likewise says that being misunderstood is forgetting what society says you should be or act like and doing what you want to do in order to kick downstairs yourself and be your own person. By not caring roughly what others may think about your choices and decisions, you rouse be your own person and set an example for others to do the same.Not only was Emerson talking about being an individual, he was as well adding a bit about your feelings being more important that reason. Thoreau also writes about individualism in his essays . In Walden, Thoreau writes about the experiences and life of his life. He writes if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet success unexpected in common hours. This is saying that you should live the way that you want to live and that your national truth or inner desires are all that matter.Everyone has inner truth and desires and to live the life that you want to live then you should go for the dreams that you have always wanted to come true. This is a prime example of individualism because everyone has dreams and inner truths about the way that they want to live and it is completely up to them to live the way that they want to live. He also addresses individualism in another essay titled Civil disobedience. He writes But, to speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no government men, I ask for, not at one time no government, but at once a better government.Let every man hold back known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step towards obtaining it In this, he is encouraging people to take a stand for the rights and respect they deserve. In a way, he is cogent people to stop ignoring the unfair government and do something about the way you feel. This is showing again how everyone has inner truth and they should do something to change the way the world is to be better. Thoreau wanted the government to change and so he spoke about what he believed to be true.This is him showing his individualism and encouraging others to speak up as well about the truth that they believed. Like Emerson and Thoreau, Whitman and Dickenson have both used individualism in their deeds, but Whitman does a better job at portraying it. In Whitmans poem tenor of Myself, Whitman writes about everyone being equal and having equal opportunities. He states I am of old and young, of the foolish as much as the wise, regardless of others, e ver regardful of others, maternal as well as paternal, a child as well as a man, stuffed with the stuff that is course, and stuffed with the stuff that is fine In this repeat he is comparing total opposites to each other. This is a way of showing how even the opposites are the same. careless(predicate) of others, ever regardful of others message that others mean nothing to you, yet others mean everything to you. Its contradicting, but in a way that says although others mean nothing to you, they affect you in certain ways. Everyone affects you, but you are not everyone. You are manifestly yourself and that is what I get from what Whitman was describing.In another part of the poem, Whitman says I am as bad as the worst, but thank God, I am as good as the best. This ingeminate stands out because it means no one is better than anyone. skillful because you dont get in trouble doesnt mean you are any less wrong or less bad. Just because you do good things doesnt mean you are any b etter Being good is simply being good and the same goes for being bad. No one is any better or worst. This means that everyone is equal and has equal opportunities. Dickenson also uses individualism as a theme in some of her works as well.In the poem Heaven Has Different SignsTo Me, Dickenson writes The Rapture of a finished Day return to the WestAll theseremind us of the government agency, That Men call paradise In this poem Dickinson is describing what heaven would be like. This retell refers to the end of the day for men. Individualism is living the way you want and reaching fulfillment. This quote shows how men are fulfilled in their lives and of what they call paradise. To me, I dont think she is piece of music about heaven, I think she is writing about a utopia. She is writing about a place that everyone is equal and enlightened.Dickinson and Whitman both write about being equal and living the life that you want to lead. charge though they both write about individualism, Whitman portrays it much more and it is more apparent. They were both influenced by the transcendentalist movement, but Dickinson focuses on other traits like how nature is beautiful and simple and the relationship that nature, life, and death have. The transcendentalist movement may be over, but it left an imprint in literature. Many people speak of individualism and the break most associated with it in the movement is Walt Whitman.Works Cited Poemhunters. com. N. p. , n. d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. Quotations by Author. Walt Whitman Quotes. N. p. , n. d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. Thoreau, Henry D. Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau. Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau. Jone Johnson Lewis, n. d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. Thoreau, Henry D. Walden. N. p. Jalic, 2003. Print. Whitman, Walt. (1836)Nature. Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Oregon State College, n. d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013. Whitman, Walt. Self Reliance. Mrgunnar. net. N. p. , n. d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.