Post by Liz McCarthy on May 18, 2008 23:03:03 GMT -5
Like all revolutions, American Transcendentalism started as a reaction to the supposed problems with society. The transcendentalists found that the societal markings of the nineteenth century were an impediment to man’s ability to discover himself. They wished to strip man of his traditional ideas about religion and education. Ralph Waldo Emerson, the forefather of transcendentalism, argued that man should create his own experience with
God when he says, “Why should not we have a poetry and philosophy of insight and not of tradition, and a religion by revelation to us, and not the history of theirs?” (Emerson 1). Emerson’s core belief was that we must gather information not based on the books written by previous historians or philosophers, but based on what are senses tell us. In his essay “Self-Reliance”, Emerson tells us, “trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string” (1). He is saying that we must rise above and beyond what society has told us, and rely on ourselves for the answer. He warned us that “imitation is suicide”(1)and that it is dangerous to allow our foreign ancestral influences to dictate our lives. Henry David Thoreau has similar sentiments as Emerson. In his essay “Civil Disobedience” he says, “I will breathe after my own fashion” (Thoreau 97).” Thoreau maintained that one should live according to himself and not according to the traditions of society.
Thomas Cole’s the Oxbow best portrays the transcendentalist movement. The picture shows the contrast of civilization and nature. There are subtle traces of exploration and human development. Nature is seen at the front of the picture, while the farm is seen in the background. While both are in full view, the wilderness scene is more conspicuous and the agricultural image is merely a backdrop. The foreboding dark clouds that loom in the background echo the idea that technology has cast an impediment on mankind. Also drawn in the picture is a winding river that cuts through the farm land. This image connects to Emerson and Thoreau’s idea that man must forge his own pathway in order to find himself. As Emerson said, “insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation” (8). According to transcendentalists, man can only solve the mysteries of his soul by looking within, and not relying on foreign influences.
God when he says, “Why should not we have a poetry and philosophy of insight and not of tradition, and a religion by revelation to us, and not the history of theirs?” (Emerson 1). Emerson’s core belief was that we must gather information not based on the books written by previous historians or philosophers, but based on what are senses tell us. In his essay “Self-Reliance”, Emerson tells us, “trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string” (1). He is saying that we must rise above and beyond what society has told us, and rely on ourselves for the answer. He warned us that “imitation is suicide”(1)and that it is dangerous to allow our foreign ancestral influences to dictate our lives. Henry David Thoreau has similar sentiments as Emerson. In his essay “Civil Disobedience” he says, “I will breathe after my own fashion” (Thoreau 97).” Thoreau maintained that one should live according to himself and not according to the traditions of society.
Thomas Cole’s the Oxbow best portrays the transcendentalist movement. The picture shows the contrast of civilization and nature. There are subtle traces of exploration and human development. Nature is seen at the front of the picture, while the farm is seen in the background. While both are in full view, the wilderness scene is more conspicuous and the agricultural image is merely a backdrop. The foreboding dark clouds that loom in the background echo the idea that technology has cast an impediment on mankind. Also drawn in the picture is a winding river that cuts through the farm land. This image connects to Emerson and Thoreau’s idea that man must forge his own pathway in order to find himself. As Emerson said, “insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation” (8). According to transcendentalists, man can only solve the mysteries of his soul by looking within, and not relying on foreign influences.