How Is David Thoreau A Transcendentalist?

Henry David Thoreau is among many other early American transcendentalist thinkers, including Ralph Waldo Emerson. Thoreau wrote many pieces and accomplished much in his lifetime; including the time he spent in the wilderness near the Walden Pond observing only the essential facts of life to further understand life as a whole. Many would quote him for his tremendous contributions to early American thought and his outstanding thoughts, “Even to call him a Transcendentalist is to underplay the carefully observed and circumstantial style of much of his writing and the sense of physical participation on which the style is based,” (Dougherty). One of the many things that Thoreau did and journalized in his famous writing Walden was his adventure from

Thoreau expressed the idea of each day being a new chance for every person, regardless of the previous day. Also that morning is the most important part of the day, the beginning of the fresh start. In Walden he expresses this idea further, “After a partial cessation of his sensuous life, the soul of man, or its organs rather, are reinvigorated each day, and his Genius cries again what noble life it can make.” This type of optimism has continued to be expressed in today’s society. Often times saying about the next day can be better is used in motivational speaking. Another idea of this that is used in modern times is displayed in pieces across the internet, “New Year 's Day, a ‘time for a fresh start after looking back at yesterday 's reflections,’” (Scott). As discussed in this writing, New Year’s Day is a traditional day for people to right their wrongs and hope for a better tomorrow. Essentially, people show a more optimistic outlook and show the ideology of Thoreau, that they can make the next day a better day. This idea of a fresh start is still believed by the contemporary

The idea of simplification is not something that is as expressed in modern society as Thoreau had hoped it to be, when he had truly understood and discovered the idea in his time in the wilderness. However, the idea that each day presents a new opportunity for a ‘new start’ is something that is still heavily believed by the common people and if often used as motivation. Also, the importance of individuality is also practiced and still greatly encouraged today. While not all ideas are still accepted as Thoreau would have hoped his work still continues to amaze the generations, “Studies of Henry David Thoreau as a man of letters have led primarily to an examination of his attitude toward nature, society, government, and religion, and, on the purely literary side, of his style,” (Lorch). What is your favorite piece of