🪶American Literature – Before 1860 Unit 8 – Emerson & Thoreau: American Romantics

Key Figures and Their Backgrounds

• Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was a prominent American essayist, lecturer, and poet who led the Transcendentalist movement
  • Born in Boston, Massachusetts to a Unitarian minister
  • Attended Harvard Divinity School and became a Unitarian minister himself
• Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an American essayist, poet, and philosopher, best known for his book "Walden" and his essay "Civil Disobedience"
  • Born in Concord, Massachusetts to a pencil maker
  • Attended Harvard College and worked as a teacher, surveyor, and pencil maker
• Both Emerson and Thoreau were part of the Transcendentalist Club, a group of New England intellectuals who met regularly to discuss philosophy, literature, and spirituality
• Emerson served as a mentor to Thoreau and encouraged him to pursue his writing
• Thoreau lived in a small cabin on Emerson's property at Walden Pond for two years, which inspired his book "Walden"

Historical and Literary Context

• The American Romantic period (1820-1860) was characterized by a focus on individualism, emotion, and nature
• Romanticism emerged as a reaction against the rationalism and neoclassicism of the Enlightenment era
• The Industrial Revolution and westward expansion were transforming American society and culture
  • Led to a growing sense of nationalism and a desire to create a distinctly American literature
• Transcendentalism developed as a philosophical and literary movement that emphasized the importance of individual experience, intuition, and the divine within nature
  • Influenced by German Idealism, Unitarianism, and Eastern religions (Buddhism, Hinduism)
• Other notable American Romantic writers include Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe

Core Philosophical Ideas

• Transcendentalism held that there is an ideal spiritual state that "transcends" the physical and empirical, and this can only be realized through individual intuition
• Emphasized the importance of self-reliance, individualism, and non-conformity
  • Believed that individuals should trust their own intuition and experience rather than relying on external authorities or institutions
• Celebrated the beauty and divinity of nature, seeing it as a source of spiritual truth and inspiration
  • Nature was seen as a symbol of the divine and a means of connecting with the "Over-Soul" or universal spirit
• Critiqued materialism, conformity, and the corrupting influence of society on the individual
• Advocated for social reform and the abolition of slavery
  • Believed in the inherent dignity and equality of all individuals

Major Works and Themes

• Emerson's "Nature" (1836) is considered the founding document of Transcendentalism
  • Explores the relationship between the individual, nature, and the divine
  • Emphasizes the importance of self-reliance and intuition in understanding truth
• Emerson's "Self-Reliance" (1841) is a seminal essay that encourages individuals to trust their own judgment and resist conformity
• Thoreau's "Walden" (1854) is a reflection on his two years living in a small cabin in the woods
  • Explores themes of simplicity, self-sufficiency, and the value of living close to nature
  • Critiques the materialism and conformity of modern society
• Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" (1849) argues for the right and duty of individuals to resist unjust laws and governments
  • Influenced later activists like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.

Writing Styles and Techniques

• Emerson and Thoreau both used a highly personal, introspective writing style that blended poetry and prose
  • Relied heavily on metaphor, symbolism, and imagery to convey abstract ideas
• Emerson's writing is characterized by its aphoristic quality, with many memorable phrases and quotations
  • "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string"
  • "To be great is to be misunderstood"
• Thoreau's writing is more naturalistic and descriptive, with vivid accounts of his observations and experiences in nature
  • "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived"
• Both writers used a conversational, often irreverent tone that challenged conventional wisdom and authority
• Their essays often employ a circular or digressive structure, exploring ideas from multiple angles rather than presenting a linear argument

Influence on American Literature

• Emerson and Thoreau's emphasis on individualism, self-reliance, and non-conformity had a profound impact on American literature and culture
  • Influenced later writers like Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and Robert Frost
• Their celebration of nature and the American landscape helped shape a distinctly American literary voice
  • Contributed to the development of the nature writing genre and the environmental movement
• Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" has become a classic of American political thought
  • Influenced later writers and activists engaged in social and political protest
• Transcendentalism's critique of materialism and conformity anticipated later countercultural movements (Beat Generation, hippies)

Critical Reception and Debates

• During their lifetimes, Emerson and Thoreau were controversial figures who challenged mainstream religious and social norms
  • Emerson was criticized for his unorthodox religious views and his rejection of traditional Christianity
  • Thoreau was seen as an eccentric and a social misfit, and his ideas were often dismissed or misunderstood
• In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Emerson and Thoreau's reputations grew, and they came to be seen as major figures in American literature and thought
  • Emerson was celebrated as the "Sage of Concord" and a key influence on American idealism and pragmatism
  • Thoreau was admired for his principled stance against slavery and his advocacy of civil disobedience
• Some critics have argued that Emerson and Thoreau's emphasis on individualism and self-reliance can lead to a kind of solipsism or social disengagement
  • Others have defended their vision of individual freedom and social responsibility
• Recent scholarship has explored the racial and gender politics of Transcendentalism
  • Some have criticized Emerson and Thoreau for their limited engagement with issues of race and slavery
  • Others have highlighted the contributions of women and people of color to the Transcendentalist movement

Legacy and Modern Relevance

• Emerson and Thoreau's ideas continue to resonate with modern readers and thinkers
  • Their emphasis on individual freedom, self-discovery, and resistance to conformity speaks to ongoing concerns in American culture
• Thoreau's "Walden" has become a classic of environmental literature
  • His vision of living simply and sustainably in nature has inspired generations of back-to-the-land movements and environmental activists
• "Civil Disobedience" remains a powerful statement of the individual's right to resist unjust authority
  • Has been cited by activists from the Civil Rights Movement to the Occupy Wall Street protests
• Emerson's vision of self-reliance and non-conformity has been embraced by entrepreneurs, artists, and iconoclasts
  • His aphorisms and quotations continue to circulate widely in popular culture
• Transcendentalism's celebration of individual experience and intuition anticipates later developments in psychology, spirituality, and self-help culture
• The Transcendentalist emphasis on the interconnectedness of all life and the sacredness of nature resonates with contemporary ecological and spiritual movements (deep ecology, eco-spirituality)