Walden

The impact the transcendental movement had on American literature cannot be

underestimated. “Reawakening an interest in the great problems of human nature and destiny,”

authors such as Emerson, Alcott and Brownson, for example, forced the transcendental

movement into the path of Henry David Thoreau. (Spiller, 346) As a self proclaimed “mystic, a

transcendentalist, and a natural philosopher,” Thoreau’s works invite the reader to explore his

intuitive philosophy (Spiller, 121). Furthermore, Walden proves itself to be an adventure based

Initially, the transcendentalist movement in New England was sparked by controversy

with the Unitarian church. Critics began to view the Unitarian religion as based on a set of rules

which could not support their need for spiritual and emotional exploration. The church’s

philosophy was moving more toward rational and reason based doctrines, and away from

“experiment and observation” (Spiller, 348). This included the ideals of intuition, feeling and

mysticism. In “Emerson’s Nature, the original- and probably the best systematic expression of

transcendentalist philosophy,” a theoretical examination is made, attempting to link a simple

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Using the great ancient philosophers as an example, Thoreau

explains that they “were a class than which none has been poorer in outward riches, none so rich

in inward” (1726). As he begins building in the spring, he

explains his work days as “pleasant spring days, in which the winter of man’s discontent was

thawing as well as the earth. His purpose is made evident in Walden, as he states “I know of no more

encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious

endeavor” (1765) Thoreau immersed himself into nature, allowed his mind to create a

consciousness of divinity, and thus “transcended” to spiritual fulfillment. “Most men, even in this

comparatively free country, through mere ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with the

factious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life that its finer fruits cannot be plucked by

them” (1721). ” (1740) As the spring continues his progress grows relatively. ” Bathing in the pure pond, breathing in the uncontaminated air in

the “airy hut,” and welcoming morning’s renewal, enhances his ability to accept a spiritual

relevance. “Read your fate, see what is

before you, and walk on into futurity” (1776).

Transcendentalism and Walden

Works Cited

Spiller, Robert E. “Now that the cars are gone by, and all the restless world with

them, and the fishes in the pond no longer feel their rumbling, I am more alone than ever.

The train’s interruption on Thoreau’s reflection in Sounds was also a significant reminder

of the industry which invades the natural environment. Nature is around him, rather than his intruding upon nature. Because Thoreau is secluded in the

woods from society, the reality the train brings interrupts his experiencing the lessons of nature. His process toward spiritual growth is progressing rapidly. He had abandoned the strict rules, much

like the church had set up, and enveloped himself in exploration.

Approximate Word count = 1226
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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