Transcendentalism Read the three excerpts (written by prominent transcendentalists) and try to figure out what the term “transcendentalism” might mean. With a partner, make a list on your board: What does a person have to believe in order to be a transcendentalist?

Transcendentalism Movement predominantly popular A writing philosophy that strives to see the world beyond common sense categories Strives to lift us above common day conflicts and struggles and to raise us to new heights of freedom and unity with worldly goodness

Transcendentalism Led celebration of the American experiment as one of individualism and self reliance Valued imagination over reason, creativity over theory, and action over contemplation Great optimism about the world stemming from belief that all men and women can transcend limits and reach new heights

Criticism Striving to find truths to match the ideals they believed in created inauthenticity in some of their writing Often would stretch/reshape the facts to fit their theories, leaving out inconvenient findings

Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman Choose one of these writers and work with a partner to identify that writer’s topic, tone, and purpose

Ralph Waldo Emerson The “father” of transcendentalism Began by lecturing about spiritual experience and ethical living Other writers flocked to his writings—all craved a deeper and more profound understanding of human experience

Henry David Thoreau Began writing nature poetry alongside Emerson in 1840s – Emerson very supportive of his writing Took transcendentalism to heart—went to live in the wild and wrote Walden – Built his own home, seeking to live simply Believed in following own moral compass—not blindly following laws

Walt Whitman “Father” of free verse poetry – Poetry that does not follow a rhyme scheme or structure Incredibly poor for much of his life – Published his own work Strove to overcome moral, philological, and political boundaries Considered one of America’s most important poets

“Bivouac on a Mountain Side” Read and annotate Whitman’s poem – Identify: the role of his speaker – Consider: what is the speaker talking about? – Consider: what words does Whitman use to describe the trees, men, and horses? The stars?

Consider what you got from our time outside yesterday Did you notice certain things about nature? Did you notice the difference between doing work inside and doing work outside?

Imitate Whitman’s Style Start with “I see before me now”, then describe what you observed – Be sure to include the scenery – Be sure to include the people, animals, or other living things you observed – Be sure to end with your most profound observation comparing one observation to another