Comparing Emerson And Thoreau

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Transcendentalism was a philosophical movement that occurred in America after the Enlightenment period and before the Civil War. It had many influential authors who were very close with nature. These transcendental authors were against conformity; they were against society. Emerson and Thoreau both had ideas about bonding with nature. Emerson wrote an essay Nature that shows his beliefs. Emerson believed that nature could cause us to become “transparent eyeballs”. When Emerson said this, he meant that he sees everything but interferes with nothing. Emerson also says “nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” By this, he means that nature is holy and will always be holy. Emerson’s protege Thoreau also wrote an essay, Walden. Thoreau says in Walden believes in simplicity. Thoreau says “our lives are frittered away by detail” meaning people …show more content…

Emerson says in his essay, Self- Reliance, “Speak what you think now in hard words and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it may contradict everything you said today.” Emerson believes that individuals should always rely on themselves because the only person that can always be there for you is you. Emerson also says “to be great is to be misunderstood”, after he lists many names of originally misunderstood influential people; by doing this he is trying to persuade you to believe him. Thoreau also wrote an essay about bonds with society and his was titled Civil Disobedience. Thoreau states “ I ask for, not at once no government but at once a better government”, by saying this he means, that if the people would take power they would have a better government instead of having government “officials” do it for us. Thoreau and Emerson have a similar idea which is, saying true to . Thoreau urged people to contradict laws in which they disagree. I agree with Thoreau in saying that we need a new government and we have since this government was

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