Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism
Brandy Waldrop
Transcendentalism 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 women's 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 Whitman's "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. Whitman's 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 not
wait at the end to arrest it,
And ceas'd the moment life appear'd
This outlook on death puts it in a positive light rather than...
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