American Romanticism 1800-1860

Romanticism Reaction to Rationalism Feeling & Intuition > Reason Transcendentalists and Dark Romantics

Transcendentalists

Henry David Thoreau 1817 - 1862

Thoreau: “To Be Great is to be Misunderstood…?” Failures (?) Fired from job as teacher Rejected marriage proposal Apparent lack of ambition Variety of odd jobs Surveyor Handyman for Mrs. Emerson Pencil Maker Early writings not popular Accidentally set fire to 300 acres of forest Successes (?) Attended Harvard, though not distinguished Very well read Put beliefs into action at Walden Walden hugely successful In his lifetime Even more after his death Protestor, “Resistance to Civil Government” (Ghandi and MLK) Peaceful at death, tuberculosis

“I did not know we had ever quarreled” Death “I did not know we had ever quarreled” [A response to his aunt when she asked if he had made his peace with God]

Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803-1882

Thoreau & Emerson Emerson was most significant friend and influence in Thoreau’s life They met in Concord, 1836 Emerson 14 years older “New England Transcendentalists” hosted by Emerson “[Thoreau] applied Emerson’s theoretical transcendentalism to daily life…” (Norton). Thoreau stayed on Emerson’s land on Walden pond

American “Bromanticism”? H.D.T. + R.W.E. American “Bromanticism”?

Walden, the place Thoreau’s “experiment in living well” (Thoreau Reader) Moved to Walden in 1845, stayed for 2 years Stayed on Emerson’s land Went there to find “ essential facts of life”... but also to WRITE a lot Thoreau was influenced by Shaker communities Religious, Christian sect Emphasis on simplicity Many authors went to live on farms, movement to SIMPLIFY Did not believe in procreation … hard to keep going

Walden, the book “2 years of living in Walden & 9 years of reflection compressed into 1 year of story” (Lundin) Published in 1854 18 Chapters… we focus on 3 “Economy” “Where I Lived, & What I Lived For”, “Conclusion”