Sample Student Research Project 2015: Essay
LITR
4232 American Renaissance / Model Assignments
Sample Student Research Project 2015:
Essay
Benjamin Scott
Transcendentalism in Literature from the American Renaissance
When an individual is reading a piece of literature, whether it be prose,
poetry, or another variation there, they like to make a personal connection with
what they are reading. There are many different ways in which authors can evoke
emotions in their audience. Perhaps they write of their experiences as a child,
creating a world that seems all-too-familiar to the individual who is reading
their work. Often times an author will use several methods and themes to create
a sense of connection between the reader and the text. During the time of the
American Renaissance, a large portion of the nation was spiritually inclined.
Christianity had a stronghold in the public of the nation, and a fair amount of
Americans saw reality through a spiritual lens. Connected with spirituality, or
an extension of, is transcendentalism. This idea of transcendentalism, according
to lecture, is essentially the moralistic view of romanticism. Often times
transcendental ideas are woven into the work of authors in this time in the
hopes of better connecting with their audience. When the reader of a piece of
work can relate to the spiritual, peaceful ideas being portrayed by the author,
the more likely they are to enjoy what they are reading and even share it with a
friend or family member. Transcendentalism in literature brings greater meaning
to the text by allowing the reader to confide with the themes found in the work.
Through the analysis of authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller,
Henry David Thoreau, and Rebecca Harding Davis, I will argue how the use of
transcendental ideas in literature brings greater meaning to the text.
Ralph
Waldo Emerson, one of the period’s most notable artists, is known for his use of
transcendentalism in his works. One of his works,
Nature, is bathed in these
transcendental ideas. Transcendentalism is more often than not related to ideas
of peacefulness or a oneness in spirituality. Emerson write in one of his
selections from Nature, “standing on
the bare ground,—my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite
space” in a way that evokes a sense of peace in the reader (Emerson 13). His use
of the words “uplifted into infinite space” lends the meaning of peacefulness
(Emerson). When I think of being lifted up into an infinite space, I tend to
think of being at rest. With this, it seems to be referring to an eternal rest;
he is at a total sense of permanent peacefulness. This idea, while spiritual, is
transcendental in the way in which it conveys oneness in spirituality through
the use of nature. Another moment in Emerson’s work where transcendentalism is
present is when he says the following:
“The
greatest delight which the fields and woods minister, is the suggestion of an
occult relation between man and the vegetableI am not alone and unacknowledged.
They nod to me, and I to them. The waving of the boughs in the storm, is new to
me and old. It takes me by surprise, and yet is not unknown. Its effect is like
that of a higher thought” (Emerson 14).
This
passage from Nature uses the nature
to portray transcendentalism in the text. When the reader is reading this
passage they can connect with it. Everyone is familiar with nature. They can
smell the trees, feel the grass beneath their feet, hear the crickets in the
distance, and even see the endless amount of green that engenders them entirely.
Emerson’s use of transcendentalism in his work creates a sense of wonder within
the heart of the reader.
Another author from this time who uses transcendentalism in their work is
Margaret Fuller. While fuller is known for her pioneering efforts for early
feminism and equality of the sexes, she uses transcendental ideas in her work to
better convey her argument to the readers of her time. Fuller’s work from
The Great Lawsuit uses
transcendentalism in a few ways. The first that I came across is her brief
description of humanity: “For human beings are not so constituted, that they can
live without expansion; and if they do not get it one way, must another, or
perish” (Fuller 25). The transcendental imagery that is painted here is
absolutely beautiful. Her use of spirituality in this passage brings greater
meaning her text by allowing the reader to connect with her words. The picture
that she paints is oddly familiar to those who read it. To say that humans
cannot live without expansion [or die] is to say that humans will ultimately do
whatever it takes to achieve a state of transcendentalism. Some people find it
through religion, others through meditation, or perhaps even a hybrid of the
two. Even still, the idea of transcendentalism playing a role in the lives of
Americans at this time was an idea that was very popular, even if the individual
realized it or not. Another moment when Fuller taps into her use of
transcendentalism is when she says “We would have every arbitrary barrier thrown
down. We would have every path laid open to woman as freely as to man” (Fuller
27). Nature. Beauty. Transcendental.
The third author from this time that I want to take a look at is Henry
David Thoreau. While obviously Thoreau’s works are primarily focused on
politics, we will see how even in an academic writing, transcendental ideas are
present to make the audience better connect. The piece of work by Thoreau I am
looking at is his work, Resistance to
Civil Government. In his work, Thoreau uses transcendental ideas and themes
to make the overall meaning of his work relatable to the audience. Thoreau says
the following to paint a picture of transcendentalism:
“Thus the state never intentionally confronts a man's sense, intellectual
or moral, but only his body, his
senses. It is not armed with superior with or honesty, but with
superior physical strength. I was not born to be forced. I will breathe
after my own
fashion. Let us see who is the strongest. What force has a multitude?
They only can
force me who obey a higher law than” (Thoreau 24).
His
reference to a man’s moral sense and higher law is referring to spiritual,
transcendental ideas. He says that he was “not born to be forced”
and that he “breathes after his own fashion” to argue his own willingness
to not to be controlled by others than him, and he also does this to convey
transcendental ideas of spiritual and moral authority in his life (Thoreau). He
fights for what he thinks is right. He does not want to be controlled by anyone
or anything: man or moral. Thoreau in this passage is challenging the
traditional ideas of what could be Christianity, and is instead tapping into his
own spiritual, transcendental thoughts. Transcendentalism promotes peace and a
spiritual oneness with oneself whereas Christianity requires a denial of oneself
in correspondence to a God figure. Yet another transcendental moment in this
work is in the passage that says:
“Seen from a lower point of view, the Constitution, with all its faults,
is very good; the law and the
courts are very respectable; even this State and this American government
are, in many respects, very admirable, and rare things, to be thankful
for, such as a great many have described
them; seen from a higher still, and the highest, who shall say what
they are, or that they are worth looking at or thinking of at all?”
(Thoreau 38).
Thoreau’s use of transcendentalism is comparing the constitution in the manner
of a higher moral sense. “…seen from higher still, and the highest, who shall
say what they are” is representative of this. These two examples from Thoreau’s
work show the power that the use of transcendentalism has on the readers who are
consuming the work. Even in a writing atmosphere that is academic and is not
artistic: transcendentalism plays a major role in the forming and shaping of the
author’s argument.
The last author from this time period that I am analyzing is the work of
Rebecca Harding Davis. Davis’ work in
Life in the Iron Mills paints extravagant pictures of the role of women
during this time. One way that Davis portrays this is through her use of
transcendental elements. Davis taps into nature and creates a masterpiece when
she writes the following:
“There were times when the soft floods of color in the crimson and purple
flames, or the clear depth of
amber in the water below the bridge, had somehow given him a glimpse
of another world than this,—of an infinite depth of beauty and of quiet
somewhere,
somewhere, a depth of quiet and rest and love” (Davis 213).
The
use of imagery in this passage to describe nature is done in way that captivates
all the senses and more. Expressions such as “soft floods of color in the
crimson and purple flames” and the “depth of amber in the water” lend to the
reader a sense of a sublime and transcendental reality (Davis). She follows up
these descriptions with referring to a glimpse of another world—the
transcendental. Reading this brief passage is calming and peaceful. The words
and phrasing that Davis uses captivates me as I read it. I think of times in my
life where I have been in nature and have been captivated, where I was able to
sit still and notice the little details of the environment around me. I think of
a time when I was first living in New York City. I went to explore Central Park
and came to a place where there was a creak flowing down stream and an old, aged
bridge was sitting atop covered in unmaintained ivy. I looked up and around, and
all I could see was green. I couldn’t see the city skyline, nor hear the buzz of
the traffic. It’s as if I were transported to another place in time. I forgot I
was in the middle of Manhattan. For all I know, I was in the abandoned woods of
a place far off from civilization. I began to notice the details, the way trees
blew in the wind, the way the sunlight danced off the water of the creak, and so
on. In that moment I was in a transcendental state. I was at peace in the midst
of chaotic city; I was at a oneness with myself and nature. I write this story
to show the power that transcendental spiritual moments have on the lives of
individuals. Davis perfectly describes this when we find “a depth of quiet and
rest and love” (Davis 213).
Through the analysis of several authors during the American Renaissance,
we have seen how the use of transcendental ideas can better convey meaning of
the text to the reader. By using transcendentalism, the author taps into the
spiritual side of the reader, and allows them to better connect and reflect on
their own lives in relation to transcendentalism. We might not even call these
moments of rest “transcendental”, but we all have them. Perhaps we find it
through religion, through meditation, through yoga, or by going on a hike in the
woods. Each of us have a way of achieving a sense of peace, belonging, and rest,
and whether we realize it or not, it is in fact transcendental. Authors during
this time, and still today, recognize this. While human society continues to
evolve and change, we still have this inner desire to be at rest and to be at a
oneness with nature. We all have a transcendental side to our lives. When
authors tap into this side of our being, it creates a whole world of
opportunities for us to relate to their work. Additionally, it lures us into
wanting to read more and listen to more of what they have to say. This is
especially useful in pieces of work that are not simply for enjoyment, but for
those that serve a more meaning, tangible purpose. Transcendentalism works
through literature to allow the reader to reflect on their own state of
transcendentalism.
Works
Cited
Davis, Rebecca Harding. Life in the
Iron-Mills. 1861. Dr. White Course Site. Web. 1 May.
2015. <http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/texts/AmClassics/RomFiction/Lif
IronMills.htm>
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Nature. 1836.
Dr. White Course Site. Web. 28 April. 2015.
<http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/texts/AmClassics/Transcend/Emerson
RWENature.htm>
Fuller, Margaret. The Great Lawsuit.
1843. Dr. White Course Site. Web. 30 April 2015.
<http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/texts/AmClassics/Transcend/Fuller/gre
tlawsuit.htm>
Thoreau, Henry David. Resistance to Civil Government. 1849. Dr. White Course Sit. Web. 30 April. 2015. <http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/texts/AmClassics/ Transcend/Thoreau/ThoreauResCivGvt.htm>
"Great Star" flag of pre-Civil War USA