Introduction
Transcendentalism, a movement integrating religious, philosophical, and literary aspects, originated in New England during the mid-1800s. Experts generally consider the period from 1836 to 1846 as the peak of this movement, although its influence continued into subsequent decades, with some related works emerging in the 1850s. Initially grounded in religious ideas and the principles of American democracy, Transcendentalism began when a group of Boston ministers, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, felt that the Unitarian Church had become too conservative. They promoted a new religious philosophy prioritizing the inherent wisdom of the human soul over church doctrines and laws.
Prominent figures in the Transcendentalist movement included writers like Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and Walt Whitman; educator Bronson Alcott; and social theorists and reformers such as Theodore Parker and William Ellery Channing. The movement also left its mark on authors like Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Emily Dickinson, and Edgar Allan Poe. Important works associated with Transcendentalism include Emerson's Nature, "The American Scholar," and "Self-Reliance"; Thoreau's Walden; Fuller's Woman in the Nineteenth Century; and Whitman's Leaves of Grass. Novels like Melville's Moby Dick and Hawthorne's The Blithedale Romance also reflect transcendentalist themes.
The emergence of Transcendentalism coincided with the growth of the American literary tradition. Although it drew inspiration from German and British Romanticism, the movement was distinctly American, closely tied to the notion of individualism. Beyond celebrating American democracy, transcendentalist literature venerates nature as sacred and views the human soul as innately wise. The movement also had a political dimension, with writers like Thoreau demonstrating their transcendentalist beliefs through acts of civil disobedience against the government. The nineteenth century was a time of upheaval, characterized by the optimism and potential of democracy and the creation of an American identity, which eventually led to widespread conflict and division. Issues such as slavery, the Civil War, women's rights, industrial growth, and class inequalities significantly impacted the Transcendentalist movement.
Self-Wisdom
Transcendentalism is a philosophy that holds the belief that individuals have innate wisdom, which they can tap into by aligning themselves with nature. This school of thought focuses on self-improvement and personal development. Emerson and his followers broke away from previous philosophical and religious teachings by claiming that individuals possess inherent understanding and can directly connect with God, without the need for institutions like organized religions. The emphasis on individualism within Transcendentalism significantly influenced the formation of American identity, often known as American individualism, a key element of American democracy.
Various writers have explored the journey of self-awareness in distinct manners. Whitman approached this through a lively celebration of the self, embracing its complexities, beauty, and contradictions. He begins his poem “Song of Myself” with the confident line, “I celebrate myself.” He encourages readers to join him in a moment of introspection, stating, “I loafe and invite my Soul, / I lean and loafe at my ease . . . observing a spear of summer grass.” His work, Leaves of Grass, is filled with such expressions of self-celebration.
Thoreau took a different path to self-awareness. In his work Walden , he delves into the experience of solitude. He expresses, “I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. . . . I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.” For Thoreau, deep contemplation was the key to self-discovery. This self-awareness also had political implications. Once an individual establishes a personal moral code, they are obliged to engage in peaceful protest and civil disobedience if government actions oppose that code. Thoreau’s opposition to slavery led him to refuse paying a poll tax that funded the Mexican War, resulting in...
(This entire section contains 298 words.)
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a night spent in jail. For Thoreau, self-discovery was not just a theoretical concept; it was a way of life.
Nature and Its Meaning
Nature plays a pivotal role in transcendentalist philosophy and literature. This theme is so essential to the movement that Emerson's influential essay, Nature, explores the profound relationship between nature and the soul. Transcendentalists believed that the soul and nature were intricately connected. They discovered peace and divinity in the natural world's cycles and seasons. In a society becoming increasingly industrialized and fragmented, finding meaning in nature was crucial. Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman, Hawthorne, Fuller, Melville, and others viewed nature as a source of potential, freedom, and beauty.
In Nature, Emerson writes, “Let us interrogate the great apparition, that shines so peacefully around us. Let us inquire, to what end is nature?” For Emerson, nature represents a direct link to God, with its "meaning" closely aligned with God's "meaning." His interpretation of God and meaning differs from that of the conservative Unitarian Church he departed from.
As a follower of Emerson, Thoreau took Emerson’s ideas and applied them in a practical manner. He saw nature not only as a powerful force but as a way of life. In Walden, Thoreau advises, “Let us spend one day as deliberately as Nature, and not be thrown off the track by every nutshell and mosquito’s wing that falls on the rails.” For Thoreau, nature remains pure because it is untouched by commercialism and industrialization. It acts as both a sanctuary and a teacher. While transcendentalists were not against modernization, they were concerned that such progress might lead to alienation. Nature offered a way for individuals to stay connected to their inner selves and spiritual origins.
