American Romanticism
(1800 – 1860)
Transcendentalism
(1800 – 1820)
American Renaissance
(1840 – 1860)
American Romanticism
(1800 – 1860)
• distinction made between American and European landscape and
culture
• European
• older
• more refined and sophisticated
• American
• new
• rough and less refined
 Writers were able to find their place in literature that was clearly
distinct from European models – thus the term “renaissance”
(rebirth)
The rise of Transcendentalism
• Based on the following philosophies:
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Idealism
Puritan thought
Native American Mysticism
Romanticism
Idealism
• Idealists say reality lies in rational ideas, not the senses
• also believed in human perfectibility
Puritan Thought
• God revealed himself through the Bible
• also revealed himself through the physical world
Native American Mysticism
 God’s wisdom, purity, and love is in every aspect of nature
Romanticism
• a conviction that intuition, imagination, and emotion provide a
clearer route to truth than reason alone
• a conviction that poetry is superior to science
Romanticism
• a belief that contemplation of the natural world is a means of
discovering truth
• a distrust of industry and city life and an idealization of rural life and
of the wilderness
• an interest in the subconscious and the supernatural
Transcendentalism
• basic tenements of Transcendentalism
• God is in every aspect of nature, including every human being
• everyone is capable of apprehending God through intuition
• nature is the reflection of the divine spirit, therefore is a reflection of us
• Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Out of the Transcendentalist movement (focus on humanity) comes:
• Optimism
• the belief that the existing world is the best possible one
• Abolitionism
• movement to end slavery
Before we begin with Emerson…
• Please open your textbook to page R104, and copy the definition of
aphorism into your notes.
• Then open to page 370, Emerson’s essay
“Self-Reliance”.
Most students ask:
What does Transcendentalism have to do
with me?
Good question. Let’s discuss a few ideas…
•TRANSCENDENTALISM is a very formal
word that describes a very simple idea.
People, men and women equally, have
knowledge about themselves and the
world around them that "transcends" or
goes beyond what they can see, hear,
taste, touch or feel.
•This knowledge comes through intuition
and imagination not through logic or the
senses. People can trust themselves to
be their own authority on what is right.
A TRANSCENDENTALIST is a person who
accepts these ideas not as religious
beliefs but as a way of understanding
life relationships.
Aphorisms, Maxims, Proverbs, and
Other Wise Sayings
Connections to Transcendentalism
Emerson and Thoreau
You’re considered Romantic if you…
• Are inspired by the beauty of nature
• Distrust industry and city life
• Idealize rural life and the wilderness
• Prefer to rely on your emotions and imagination
• Logic is good, but don’t ignore your gut instincts!
• Believe poetry is superior to science
• Express yourself!
• Are interested in the supernatural and the
subconscious mind
• Do you believe in ghosts and spirits?
• What’s really going on in your mind?
The Goals of a Romantic:
•Live a life that makes YOU happy.
•Be an independent. THINK for yourself!
•The best way to LEARN is by engaging in
life.
An aphorism is a short, pointed
statement that expresses a wise or
clever observation about human
experience.
Transcendentalist = SUPER Romantic
•Emphasized living a simple life
•Stressed a close relationship with nature
•Celebrated emotions and imagination
•Stressed individualism and self-reliance
•Believed intuition can lead to knowledge
•Believed in the inherent goodness of people
•Encouraged spiritual well-being over
financial well-being
R.W. Emerson
Nature, Self-Reliance
•“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is
patience.”
•“It is not length of life, but depth of life.”
•“A man is what he thinks about all day long.”
•“Always do what you are afraid to do.”
•“What lies behind you and what lies in front of
you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of
you.”
•“Earth laughs in flowers.”
•“Envy is ignorance; imitation is suicide.”
What is your
definition of
success?
R.W. Emerson
Nature, Self-Reliance
“To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of
children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the
betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a
garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you
have lived.
This is to have succeeded.”
-Emerson
Please read Robert Fulghum’s essay, “All
I Need to Know I Learned in
Kindergarten.”
In your notes, please indicate:
• With which aphorism(s) do you agree?
• How do his ideas relate to Romanticism? Which ideas, specifically?
• What would you add to his list of lessons?
Henry David Thoreau
Walden, Civil Disobedience
• “Things do not change; we change.”
• “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the
life you have imagined.”
• “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately,
to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could
not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to
die, discover that I had not lived.”
• “If a man does not keep pace with his companions,
perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let
him step to the music which he hears, however measured
or far away.”
• “Be not simply good – be good for something.”
Please read Baz Lhurmann’s “Everybody’s
Free (To Wear Sunscreen).”
In your notes, please indicate:
• With which aphorism(s) do you agree?
• How do his ideas relate to Romanticism? Which ideas, specifically?
• What would you add to his list of
lessons?
Please watch this short video from Mr. Richard Williams, also known as Prince
EA, a popular rapper, spoken word artist, music video director, and human
rights activist.
In your notes, please indicate:
• Is there anything that Prince EA says that strikes a chord
of truth with you?
• Is there anything he says with which you do not agree?
• How do his ideas relate to Romanticism? Which ideas,
specifically?
• What ideas or examples would you add to his message?
Anti-Transcendentalism
(the “Dark Romantics”)
• authors Hawthorne, Melville, and Poe seemed so greatly opposed to
the optimistic viewpoints of Emerson and Thoreau
• the exploration of the dark side of human existence
• signs and symbolism in human events (also used greatly in literary
works)
• revival of Gothic Tradition
Revival of Gothic Tradition
• mood of decay
• action that is dramatic, violent and / or disturbing
• loves that are destructively passionate
• settings that are grandiose and gloomy