What Is Transcendentalism

Transcendentalism was a major philosophy during the mid-1800’s that glorified nature and recognized the importance of individualism. The works of transcendentalist writers such as Emerson influenced the writing of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson who are credited with shaping twentieth-century poetry. Whitman moved away from the rigid structural constraints of poetry during his time, and his poems such as “What Is The Grass?” exemplify his appreciation of nature even in its most mundane form. Dickinson also has a focus on nature and simplicity which can be viewed in poems like “To Make a Prairie It Takes a Clover.” The works of both Whitman and Dickinson reflect the ideals of transcendentalism by having a focus on nature, simplicity, and

The speaker not only mentions extraordinary things such as “splendid suns,” but also simple things such as “the soil.” Whitman appreciates every aspect of nature and acknowledges the universal connection of sharing germs. The speaker sees “a handful of space…and/encloses [it] with [his] hand” and concludes “that contains the start of… all— the virtue, the/germs of all.” Everything is connected in the universe and the speaker conveys this by discussing how every object’s germs are shared and mixed together. Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church” exemplifies the importance of self-reliance and nature. The poem begins with the speaker comparing zealous churchgoers to people who “[stay] at home.” The speaker explains to readers an extensive religious schedule isn't necessary, but rather self-reliance and using “an orchard for a Dome” will bring oneself closer to God. Being in nature, the speaker enables “God to preach” instead of enduring the formalities of attending a church service. Through self-reliance, the complexity of church is removed and the speaker is drawn closer to God and

Two people were buried beside each other and “[the speaker] died for beauty… [and the other] died for truth.” They connect in the grave through their failure to achieve their dreams while they were alive “the two are one/we brethren are….” The souls connected while nature grew around them and “the moss… reached [their] lips/and covered up [their] names.” They became one with nature as they decomposed and “the moss” grew around them. Similarly to William Cullen Bryant’s, “Thanatopsis” Dickinson displays the transcendentalist ideal of the importance of nature and mixing with the Earth after death. Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson reflect the ideals of transcendentalist writers such as Thoreau in their poetry. A common theme throughout Whitman’s poetry was the appreciation of nature in its entirety, which can be seen in poems such as “What Is The