Essay On Transcendentalism

Krunal Patel
Mrs.Dunkle
Honors English
27 November 2013
Transcendentalism Short Answer Test
2) 3 examples of how Emerson “Nature” is identified as America’s first transcendentalist writing is by Emerson believe that each individual must develop a personal understanding of the Universe. A good quote that relates to this is “To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society” (Emerson 219). My second reason is throughout nature, Emerson stresses on reason and faith. A quote that highlights this point is “There I feel nothing can befall me in life-no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair” (Emerson 221). My last example is the relationship of man and nature are expressions of the divine. A quote from the story is “Yet it is certain that the power to produce this delight, does not reside in nature, but in man, or in a harmony of both” (Emerson 221). These are my examples on how Emerson “Nature” is identified as America’s first transcendentalist writings.
3) Emerson message in “Nature” is the unity of man and nature with god. Also, he shows the relationship between man and nature. By proving his point, he uses many literary terms. One of his literary devices is metaphors. He states, “Nature never wears a mean appearance” (Emerson 220). The quote personifies in a way that makes it more appealing and accessible. Another literary device Emerson uses is personification. A personification found in “Nature” is “But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile” (Emerson 219). Emerson shows here that the stars are a vehicle with which humans capture the true essence of nature. The last literary device in “Nature” is connotatio...

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...e by God to merge all things in the world. This can only be realized when a person becomes a part of nature and see the message that everyone comes from god. A metaphor from “Self Reliance” is “Trust thyself: Every heart vibrates to that iron string” (Emerson 225). What this quote is trying to say is if you trust yourself then you can truly be content in whatever you do or wherever you go. The last metaphor is in Thoreau’s work called “from Walden, or Life in the Woods.” The quote states, “I did not wish to take a cabin passage, but rather to go before the mast and on the deck of the world, for there I could best see the moonlight amid the mountains” (Thoreau 243). The comparison is Thoreau’s imaginative, fresh way of saying he doesn’t want to be safe and comfortable. He wants adventure. These are just some metaphors found in Emerson’s writing and Thoreau’s writing.