Transcendentalism
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Submitted by freefortermpapers on 06/24/2008 03:00 PM
- Category: Biographies
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Transcendentalism
With a distinctive emphasis on nature as a divine power, Henry David Thoreau's "Death of a Pine" is directly related to transcendentalist principles. The premise of transcendentalism states that God is in man and in all living things. Strongly influenced by transcendentalism, Thoreau believed in the perfectibility of mankind through education, self-exploration, and spiritual awareness. This view dominates almost all of Thoreau's writing, even the most mundane and trivial, so that everything takes on an allegorical meaning. His account on the death of a pine tree is truly a transcendentalist view, as it acknowledges the tree, which "has taken two centuries to perfect," almost as a living creature. It is also defined in the transcendentalist philosophy that through contemplation and close contact with nature, an individual learns to be a person of principles. This notion certainly holds true for Thoreau, as he acquired a care and understanding for nature. As the "foremost American proponent of simple living," he valued poverty theoretically and felt that time should be devoted to personal growth over working for money.
Annie Dillard, also called "a modern-day Thoreau," is another example of a writer who captured the ideals of transcendentalism in her writing. In "Seeing," Dillard clearly maintains that "if you cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity
[then] you have with your poverty brought a lifetime of days." This simple assertion highlights personal satisfaction, which parallels the transcendentalist concept that true happiness is found in the search for the divine meaning of oneself, not in the accumulation of material goods. The search for existence is a constant theme throughout Dillard's piece and within her writing, she implies that knowledge begins with self-knowledge and self-exploration, two key concepts in the transcendentalist philosophy.
The two transcendentalists' essays display virtual similarities that incorporate...
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