Romanticism and Transcendentalism

Where We’ve Been  First American Literature (2000 B.C. – A.D. 1620) Native American Literature Native American Literature Historical Narratives Historical Narratives  Becoming a Country ( ) Puritanism Puritanism Revolutionary Writing (persuasive rhetoric) Revolutionary Writing (persuasive rhetoric)

Individualism ( )  Romanticism and Transcendentalism Longfellow, Irving, Emerson, Fuller, Thoreau, Whitman Longfellow, Irving, Emerson, Fuller, Thoreau, Whitman  American Gothic Poe and Hawthorne Poe and Hawthorne

Definitions  Romanticism sprang up in both Europe and America as a reaction to everything that had come before it: the rationalism of the 18 th century Age of Reason and, especially, Puritanism.  Romantic artists, philosophers, and writers saw the limitations of reason and celebrated instead the glories of the individual spirit, the emotions, and the imagination as basic elements of human nature.

 Transcendentalism was based on a fundamental belief in the unity of the world and God.  They believed that the “macrocosm” (the universe) and the “microcosm” (the indivdual) were directly connected.  Emerson said that every individual is capable of discovering higher truth (and identification with God) on his or her own, through intuition.  Transcendentalists sought to have individuals “transcend” to a higher spiritual level.  To achieve this goal, the individual had to seek spiritual, not material, greatness and the essential truths of life through intuition.

 Intuition, or common sense, functioned above and beyond the five senses. The faculty of intuition provided every person with their own ability to know what is absolutely true.  Transcendentalists saw nature not only as beautiful, but as a reflection of divinity—literally, the face of God.  They believed that the purpose of human life was union with the so-called “over-soul” which embraced, and was reflected in, everything in the world.  People could develop their potential by immersing themselves in the beauty of the natural world.

 Beauty and truth could be experienced only through intuition, though careful observation of nature might help to uncover its laws and provide a glimpse into the divine.  Tended to be anti-religious.  They felt that the authority of organized religion needed to be rejected and that people needed to find God within themselves.  In pursuit of divine knowledge, seekers needed to be prepared to resist accepted social codes and customs.  Truth could be found in nature and within one’s self.  Self-reliance and individuality, not obedience to outside authority, were the pathways to self- understanding and to the divine.

Characteristics of Romanticism Classicism - Normality - The group, the masses - Balance, order - Control, constraint - Reality - Order - Facts and reason - Tradition - Urban - Crowds - Even temperament - Balance - Formal language - Practicality - The present Romanticism - Abnormality - The individual - The grotesque - Spontaneity - Mystery, imagination - Reverence for nature - Intuition and feeling - New ideas - Rustic - Solitude - Melancholy - Disorder - Vernacular language - Whimsy - Distant in time or place

Romanticism Idealizes...  Natural scenery  Natural man  Rustic and primitive life  The past, especially the medieval period

Romanticism Emotionalizes  Indulges the emotions  Appeals to the senses, imagination, emotion  Encourages awareness of the supernatural

Romanticism Individualizes  Values the eccentric  Celebrates the abnormal  Revels in differences and uniqueness

Romanticism Escapes  In time (past or future)  In distant, rural places  Into the emotions  Into the subconscious  Into the abnormal  Into the imagination, the supernatural  Into the senses

Ralph Waldo Emerson ( )  Possessed a religious sense of mission  Emerson was the philosopher and teacher  Left the Unitarian church because he felt that “to be a good minister, it was necessary to leave the church.”  He avoided building a logical intellectual system.  Called for the birth of American individualism inspired by nature  Most famous essay is “Nature”  Major Ideas: Need for new national vision Need for new national vision Use of personal experience Use of personal experience Notion of the cosmic Over-Soul Notion of the cosmic Over-Soul

Emerson Quotes  “Trust thyself, every heart vibrates to that iron string.”  “Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members.”  “Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist.”  “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”  “To be great is to be misunderstood.”

Henry David Thoreau ( )  From a poor family, like Emerson  Thoreau was the student and the practitioner.  Worked his way through Harvard  Reduced his needs to the simplest level and lived on very little money  A nonconformist, he attempted to live his life at all times according to his rigourous principles  Walden: the result of two years, two months, and two days he spent living in a cabin he built at Walden Pond

Thoreau, continued  He also wrote “Civil Disobedience,” which contains his theory of passive resistance based on the moral necessity for the just individual to disobey unjust laws (inspired Gandhi and King)  Main Ideas: Ecological consciousness Ecological consciousness Do-it-yourself independence Do-it-yourself independence Ethical commitment to abolitionism Ethical commitment to abolitionism Political theory of civil disobedience and peaceful resistance Political theory of civil disobedience and peaceful resistance

Questions to Consider  In small groups (four or less), discuss the following questions. These will help you fully understand transcendentalism. One person per group should take notes. How are you affected by nature? Do you find comfort in it? Do you reflect the moods of nature? How are you affected by nature? Do you find comfort in it? Do you reflect the moods of nature? What is the role of nature in your life? What is the role of nature in your life? What is meant by an individual’s spiritual side? How do you define it? What is meant by an individual’s spiritual side? How do you define it? Is there a connection between the individual’s spirit and nature? If so, what is that connection? Is there a connection between the individual’s spirit and nature? If so, what is that connection? What does it mean to know something intuitively? For example, has a parent or a sibling ever known something was wrong with you without having talked with or seen you? What do we mean when we say “I just know it”? What does it mean to know something intuitively? For example, has a parent or a sibling ever known something was wrong with you without having talked with or seen you? What do we mean when we say “I just know it”? How do you demonstrate that you are an individual? Do you think independently or others or do you follow the crowd? How do you demonstrate that you are an individual? Do you think independently or others or do you follow the crowd?

Other Questions  1. How can one find truth and, specifically, the meaning of life? Can you find it by reasoning? How would you define "reason"?  2. What is the relationship between these two words: "religion" and "spirituality"? Are they the same?  3. If you believe in God, how do you understand the problem of salvation? How does one find God? How is one to be "saved"? How does one find a place in Heaven?  4. Have you ever had a "religious experience"? Where and when?  5. How would you describe your own personal relationship to nature?  6. Do you support the current environment movement? If so, why?