In an address to the scholars in the Phi Beta Kappa society at Cambridge in Massachusetts Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1837 delivered a speech in which he stated that the literature during the European influence required scholars to memorize texts written by other writers. The speech was titled The American Scholar and the main idea of his speech was that the literature in America should be completely different from the European literature. Basically the scholars should have the freedom to write in any form they wish to write in and not copy the way other writers have already written. By this statement Emerson reminds the citizens of America that their culture were modified by the Europeans so much that people had already started to forget their own culture. In this respect Emerson is reminding the citizens of America that since they won the war of independence against the Europeans and that they now had a chance to start afresh every developmental activity. Therefore in literature to start fresh the Americans needed to write in a new form that would be different from how the Europeans wrote and had taught Americans to write. Emerson claims that the new form of writing can be achieved through influences from nature, books and action. He was thus a transcendentalist.
Emerson in his speech states that scholars should observe nature and write originally on their own and not memorize or copy the form of writings of other writers. In the American scholar (1837) he states that "Men of talent, that is who start wrong, who set out from accepted dogmas, not from their own sight of principles." This means that even if a person is intelligent but starts his thoughts in the wrong way such as collecting ideas from a text written by other scholars, h...
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...Let him not quit his belief that a popgun is a popgun, though the ancient and the honorable of the earth affirm it to be the crack down.”
Emerson’s the American scholar was credited as significant as the declaration of independence in literature by many other writers. It was thus a transcendental speech that encouraged young scholars have a better learning process by not memorizing text but by researching on subjects they wish to learn. Such learning process promises innovations and creativity in the minds of the young people and the world always has alternatives to rely on if any other method fails. Therefore The American scholar has thus been an inspiring speech to the whole world that encouraged better learning and creations ever since.
Works Cited
Emerson,R.W.(1907). The American Scholar in Essays. Retrieved from
http://www.qutenberg.org/files/16643-h.htm
Emerson is known as the father of Transcendentalism because he was the founder of the movement. His writings appealed to both intellectuals and the general public even if his new ideas were hard for most of society to understand. Emerson’s entire life journey was transcendental. He was constantly thinking outside of society’s norms. Emerson once said “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist” (Emerson). Emerson means that to be a real man you cannot conform to what society wants you to be. Society tends to want everyone to think the same way and do what they are told to do. A man cannot go around following others and not thinking for himself.
“Everyman, I will go with thee and by thy guide, in thy most need to go by thy side,” said Randolf Hayes while talking about Ralph Waldo Emerson. One of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s pieces of literature is The American Scholar. This connects to Jon Krakuaer’s novel, Into the Wild. All of these pieces connect because they all show transcendentalism.
Transcendentalists Thoreau and Emerson conveyed strong, specific viewpoints on the world through their writing. The transcendentalist ideals differ vastly with the lives lived by most of the modern world today. Firstly, the two differ on views of self-reliance. Secondly, they have different outlooks on the government and organized groups. Lastly, transcendentalist and modern American views vary by the way they view nature. These differences between transcendentalism and life today are essential in understanding life then, as well as life now.
Emerson's view in ‘The American Scholar’ encourages his idea of an intellectual power of a common man in an open approach, liberated from the literary and materialistic ties of Europe, supporting Emerson's ideas through his beliefs in mystical philosophy and its importance in the individual. He also emphasizes the role that nature plays in man's development. According to Emerson nature teaches the individual that there is a plan too much of systematic detection. For the American people of his time, technology has replaced the dictionary of life, and books provide not to "inspire"; instead, they are the manuals ordering people of letting the falsely believe in how they should live their lives. Yet, the American Scholar that is placed in Emerson’s heart strikes in many a young modern heart the angry independence. The scholar explains the mystified nature; one must be absorbed with nature before he can appreciate it. Nature teaches man to attach things together; trees sprout from roots and leaves grow on trees, hence proving that one comes from another being and supports each other’s sentiments. Man learns how to categorize and organize the things in nature- which simplifies his views, thoughts and judgments. The scholar must also take action fulfilling each and every moment of the day. The scholar should explore opportunities and be open to creativeness, work different jobs and learn new professions. Then he will learn new languages and modes in which to ...
American society has appeared to have an obscure affinity for progressive, ideals, thoughts and morals, an affinity whose roots can be seen in all aspects of our society today. That hunger to change, to own the “best of the best” is evolving into the idea of perfectionism. Perhaps, it is due to this obsession with originality that prompts us to show who and what we truly are. The perception for individualism gave birth to prominent authors namely Thoreau and Emerson peacefully rebelling against societies ways with the art of literature and thought. Two distinguished authors created this legacy of transcendentalism-- believing in the idea of “free spirit” and the inherent goodness of both people and nature.
Both Thoreau and Emerson argue that asserting one’s opinions is crucial to attaining a better society. Emerson decries the danger of societal conformity and challenges the reader to “speak what you think now in hard words” in order to remedy it (Emerson 367). Likewise, Thoreau speculates that if “every man make known what kind of government would command his respect” it would be “one step toward obtaining it” (Thoreau 381). With these remarkably similar statements, both transcendentalists appeal to the reader’s patriotism by using language evocative of the agitated and outraged colonial Americans who demanded the people’s voice be heard in government. Although published roughly a half century later, “Self-Reliance” and “Civil Disobedience” mirror the sentiments of famous Revolution-era leaders such as Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry.
...ed to an optimistic emphasis on individualism, self-reliance, and rejection of traditional authority” (American 1). The major players in the transcendentalist movement are Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. They shared ideas such as self-reliance, and ideas about how there is a divine being that controls every person. They influenced many other writers and they even had an effect on the American society, then and now. Transcendentalism was a philosophy and a way of life. It will continue to be this as long as we have access to the great minds of the transcendental movement.
After reading both “Self Reliance,” by Ralph Waldo Emerson and “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,” by Frederick Douglass, one might notice a trend in what both writers regard as the key to happiness or self-fulfillment. Emerson and Douglass both imply that acquiring knowledge is what people should strive for throughout their lives. However, their perceptions on the kind of knowledge should be attained is where their ideas diverge; Emerson is the one that encourages one to develop the soul whereas with Douglass, it is the mind.
“Identity means who a person is, or the qualities of a person or group which make them different from others,” (Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Third Edition). Every individual, group and country has their own identity which makes them different from others and it shows uniqueness of oneself. Reaction against the existing philosophy takes place when there is conflict in interest amongst the philosophers. It was from the late eighteenth century until mid nineteenth century that the philosophical and literary movement (Transcendental Movement) took place in America as a result of extreme rationalism of the enlightenment. “Transcendentalism, an idealist philosophical tendency among writers in and around Boston in the mid-19th century. Growing out of Christian Unitarianism in the 1830s under the influence of German and British Romanticism, transcendentalism affirmed Kant’s principle of intuitive knowledge not derived from the senses, while rejecting organized religion for an extremely individualistic celebration of the divinity in each human being” (Oxford Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms, p. 262). Thus, being the transcendentalists, both Emerson and Thoreau represented American Identity by influencing American to participate in the construction of American identity through their writings and actions. Therefore, this essay will compare and contrast the way in which Emerson and Thoreau represented American Identity; firstly it will argue Emerson’s influence on the American scholars to create American Identity through creation of an intellectual scholars, which was unique and free from European influence and secondly it will discuss th...
Ralph Waldo Emerson is considered the Father of Transcendentalism because he first introduced the idea of a simplistic and intuitive way of life. He claims, “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist . . . Nothing is at least sacred but the integrity of your own mind” (“Self-Reliance” 392). Nonconformity is an essential part of Emerson’s definition of a transcendentalist. To be able to live a truly boundless and accomplished life, one must not fall into the daily, busy life of society. He or she must stand out and follow their intuition, even it is not considered the norm. The only way to be content is to trust one’s instinct, not be jaded by the pressures society.
Transcendentalism is a social, religious, and literary movement: a philosophy. Combining elements from the romantic period with eastern philosophical beliefs, it sought to fight against rationalism and conformism by inspiring individuals to look into their inner selves and embrace their own beliefs. One of the spearheads leading this movement was Ralph Waldo Emerson: an American writer and philosopher who sought to teach others what he himself had found. Transcendalists, such as Emerson, viewed society as a catalyst for downfall and instead believed that humans were inherently good and pure; embracing our inner feelings and emotions and ignoring expectations and conformity are essential to achieve happiness and fulfillment. Such ideas can
Emerson, Ralph. "Self-Reliance." The American Tradition in Literature. Eighth Edition. Ed. George Perkins. New York. McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994.
“What I must do, is all that concerns me, not what the people think.” (Emerson, 552) demonstrates that Emerson wants individuals to discover their true self that have unique way of thinking and should have a strong sense of self; The strong sense of self is also presented by “A great man is coming to eat at my house. I do not wish to please him: I wish that he should wish to please me.” (Emerson, 555) while stating that nobody’s ideas should be less valued. Through “The one thing in the world of value, is, the active soul, --the soul, free, sovereign, active.” (Emerson, 539) he shows his preference of resisting influences thinkers in past brings because he believes individuals nowadays can come up with better ideas and reading old ones will hold creativity back. In case that Emerson sticks with the stand that everybody can look into themselves carefully and bring up brand new and great thoughts to contribute to the world, he has no compassion toward poor people. If each individual has ability to be self-reliant, and then the only reason why poor people are poor is that they do not even try to manage their destiny. Therefore, unlike Franklin, Emerson questions “Are they my poor?” (Emerson, 552) to blame poor people.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emerson is a firm believer of maintaining self-reliance and values rather than following the crowd. He also explains that in order to be truly successful in life, a person must make decisions and trust in his or her judgment. In today’s society, teenagers are more likely to not be self-reliant because the teens feel they will be judged for having different beliefs. People today need to realize that they should not conform to be like the rest of the world, they must not depend on the judgment and criticism of others, and people must refuse to travel somewhere in order to forget their personal problems. Through Emerson’s piece, readers are able to reflect on how people in the world today must try to be independent of others and uphold their personal opinions and philosophy.
Mr. Keating, the new English teacher at Welton Academy, is the epitome of transcendentalist values. He devoutly embraces the idea of nonconformity, a key aspect of transcendentalism. At the start of the first English class, he instructs his students to tear out the introductory portion of their textbook because he disagrees with the content. This captures the attention of his student immediately differentiating him from the other professors at Welton and their orthodox teaching styles. Emerson, a famous poet who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century, said, “Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist.... Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Further emphasizing the importance of individuality, Mr. Keating takes his student out to the courtyard and asks them to walk in their own exclusive speed and style, independent of how everyone else is walking. When inquired by Mr. Nolan, the Headmaster at Welton, as to what exactly he was doing, Mr. Keating replies that he w...