Self-Reliance

Introduction - 💼 Pack your bags

Welcome, everyone! Today, we’re diving into the fascinating world of Transcendentalist literature. 🌿✨ By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to identify key characteristics that define this unique literary movement. We’ll explore how Transcendentalist writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau emphasized the inherent goodness of people and nature, the importance of self-reliance, and the belief in the unity of all creation. Get ready to uncover the profound insights and spiritual depth that make Transcendentalist literature so inspiring and timeless. Let’s get started! 📚😊

What are you most excited to learn about today?

Transcendentalism

As we continue to study more authors from this great nation, we are going back to the early 19^th century yet again to check up on another Transcendentalist writer named Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson (1803-1882), an essayist and poet, and he was a true optimist. His first book, Nature, published in 1836, became the foundational text for the Transcendentalist movement.

View the full text from the image above.

Information about Emerson:

Born in Boston, Massachusetts
Studied at Harvard to become a Unitarian minister
Gave up his ministry in Boston after his young wife died in 1831
Lived in Concord, Massachusetts, for the rest of his life
From childhood, interested in Eastern philosophies and religions
Influenced and inspired Henry David Thoreau
Formed the Transcendental Club, which was a group of deep thinkers who had common interests in nature and the activism of social change
Influenced by the British Romantic Samuel Coleridge
First book, Nature, published in 1836
Died of pneumonia in Concord, Massachusetts

Transcendentalism in literature describes an abstract belief that people have the ability to think independently, explore spirituality independently, and guide their morals independently. Transcendentalists believe that people have the ability to transcend the physical world around them and find ultimate spiritual and self-awareness. Much of their transcendency comes from reflecting on nature and seeing their morals more clearly through nature, rather than in church settings.

Okay, let’s try something! Set a timer for 90 seconds, and then close your eyes. The goal of this exercise is to clear your mind of all thoughts - just sit and be. Be aware of your body. Be transparent to the world around you. Be present. Be still.

Were you able to clear your mind? Was it easier to clear your mind at the beginning, middle, or end of the 90 seconds? What thoughts tried to creep into your mind at this time? This type of transcendental meditation was something that transcendentalists thought was important in order to find self-awareness and spirituality.

You will now read a portion of one of Emerson's famous essay, "Self-Reliance." This essay is considered to be Emerson's philosophy of individualism and the finest example of his prose.

Emerson is known for his repeated use of the phrase "trust thyself." Every individual possesses a unique genius, Emerson argues, that can only be revealed when that individual has the courage to trust his or her own thoughts, attitudes, and inclinations against all public disapproval. He goes on to say that God has made each one of us unique and given each person a unique work to do. To trust one's own thoughts and to put them into action is to hear and act on the voice of God.

In his essay, Emerson wants to get across the point that we need to be individuals. He adds that we must seek solitude to hear our own thoughts because society, by its nature, leads men to conform. Emerson has made a case that individuals have not only a right but also a responsibility to think for themselves and that neither societal disapproval nor concerns about consistency should discourage this.

Reading Assignment

Please read the “Self-Reliance” Text.

Self-Reliance Self-Assessment

Test your knowledge from this lesson in the self-assessment below.

🚀 Blast-off Wrap-up

Emerson was influential in the transcendentalist movement and influenced other writers you have studied, such as Henry David Thoreau. Emerson was a mentor to Thoreau and even taught him about the writing process. Ralph Waldo Emerson helped America create this distinct literary movement, and his individualistic spirit still resonates with readers today.

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