Post by jonathanb02 on May 19, 2008 15:58:04 GMT -5
Jonathan Berman
4/18/08
Period 2
Hudson River School Assignment
The works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and William Thoreau created and drove the movement of Transcendentalism into the forefront of American literary philosophy. The main goal of Transcendentalism was to discover one’s oversoul and intuition. By developing those two attributes, respectively, one would be able to realize one’s true place in the Nature and reach that ideal spiritual state that transcends the physical world and its man-made laws and doctrines. Transcendentalism’s principles are not based on sensuous experience, but rather are derived from the inner, spiritual essence of the human. In order to find that mental state, one must develop one’s intuition. Transcendentalism goes beyond the confines of the five basic human senses; intuition is the sixth sense.
By retreating into Nature and living in solitude, one is escaping form society’s standards. According to Emerson, in society there is pollution (both physical and personal) that negatively effects it. However, one can discover one’s oversoul even without living in complete solitude in its literal sense; by not conforming to societal views, one is achieving that goal as well. According to Emerson’s essay “Self Reliance,” habit and tradition are the two things that negatively affect society, so if one lives a life without those two infectious aspects, they are living a significant While Emerson expressed all of these views, he doesn’t actually live them fully. In Thoreau’s novel Walden, he lives the life that Emerson’s theories suggest. He retreats into solitude and nature in order to develop his intuition. Also, by going into Nature, he can connect with his oversoul. According to Transcendentalism, each individual oversoul together makes up the universal soul; the universal soul consists of Man, God, and Nature. By living in Nature, away from society and its influences, Thoreau is able to bond with Nature and be reborn, becoming a new and better man.
Thomas Moran’s painting “Cliffs of Green River” expresses the idea of the universal soul. In this painting, God, Nature, and Man are all represented. God is seen in the sky; the clouds are grandeur and powerful. In the distance, there is a storm brewing, reminding Man of the power of God. The azure and white swirls in the sky demonstrate the beauty that comes with that power.
Nature is seen in the painting through the landscape and the mountains. The mountains, crimson and majestic, show the supremacy Nature has over Man. Its jagged edges and intricate design, both formed through erosion, show how God, another part of the Universal Soul, has shaped it through the years. They also illustrate the age of Nature; it has been there for a very long time and its strength and power feels eternal in this painting.
Man in this painting is demonstrated as small and diminutive in comparison to God and Nature. A common mistake of Man is that he is all-powerful and individually can control God and Nature. This painting shoves that idea of supremacy away because it shows how Man is such a small part of the whole picture. A small horseman stands in the water with his stick in the air; this action represents unity because he is respecting the great forces of Nature and God. Man, God, and Nature all make up the Universal Soul. Each one is integral to the whole and when they are put together, a powerful painting is produced. “Cliffs of Green River” is a painting that shows how the Universal Soul is made up of God, Nature, and Man, none of which are more important than the others.
4/18/08
Period 2
Hudson River School Assignment
The works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and William Thoreau created and drove the movement of Transcendentalism into the forefront of American literary philosophy. The main goal of Transcendentalism was to discover one’s oversoul and intuition. By developing those two attributes, respectively, one would be able to realize one’s true place in the Nature and reach that ideal spiritual state that transcends the physical world and its man-made laws and doctrines. Transcendentalism’s principles are not based on sensuous experience, but rather are derived from the inner, spiritual essence of the human. In order to find that mental state, one must develop one’s intuition. Transcendentalism goes beyond the confines of the five basic human senses; intuition is the sixth sense.
By retreating into Nature and living in solitude, one is escaping form society’s standards. According to Emerson, in society there is pollution (both physical and personal) that negatively effects it. However, one can discover one’s oversoul even without living in complete solitude in its literal sense; by not conforming to societal views, one is achieving that goal as well. According to Emerson’s essay “Self Reliance,” habit and tradition are the two things that negatively affect society, so if one lives a life without those two infectious aspects, they are living a significant While Emerson expressed all of these views, he doesn’t actually live them fully. In Thoreau’s novel Walden, he lives the life that Emerson’s theories suggest. He retreats into solitude and nature in order to develop his intuition. Also, by going into Nature, he can connect with his oversoul. According to Transcendentalism, each individual oversoul together makes up the universal soul; the universal soul consists of Man, God, and Nature. By living in Nature, away from society and its influences, Thoreau is able to bond with Nature and be reborn, becoming a new and better man.
Thomas Moran’s painting “Cliffs of Green River” expresses the idea of the universal soul. In this painting, God, Nature, and Man are all represented. God is seen in the sky; the clouds are grandeur and powerful. In the distance, there is a storm brewing, reminding Man of the power of God. The azure and white swirls in the sky demonstrate the beauty that comes with that power.
Nature is seen in the painting through the landscape and the mountains. The mountains, crimson and majestic, show the supremacy Nature has over Man. Its jagged edges and intricate design, both formed through erosion, show how God, another part of the Universal Soul, has shaped it through the years. They also illustrate the age of Nature; it has been there for a very long time and its strength and power feels eternal in this painting.
Man in this painting is demonstrated as small and diminutive in comparison to God and Nature. A common mistake of Man is that he is all-powerful and individually can control God and Nature. This painting shoves that idea of supremacy away because it shows how Man is such a small part of the whole picture. A small horseman stands in the water with his stick in the air; this action represents unity because he is respecting the great forces of Nature and God. Man, God, and Nature all make up the Universal Soul. Each one is integral to the whole and when they are put together, a powerful painting is produced. “Cliffs of Green River” is a painting that shows how the Universal Soul is made up of God, Nature, and Man, none of which are more important than the others.