Transcendentalism was a popular mindset among many different great thinkers during the time in which it was popular. Though Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau are credited as more important transcendentalists, many other people still write with a transcendental mindset. The ideas that Emerson and Thoreau publicized made their way into many different works, including Walt Whitman's poetry. Though there are many different ideas and themes encompassed in his poetry, the ideas of self-reliance
this is easier said than done for most people. The writers Thoreau and Emerson attempt to set guidelines for a meaningful and pleasant life in their essays. Although both writers have similar ideas, Thoreau actually lives out the beliefs at multiple points in his life. His actions indubitably represent Emerson’s opinions what it means to contribute to society. The idea of simplicity expressed by Emerson is specifically seen when Thoreau willingly lives in a poorly built home in the woods. He also
similar, romantic perspectives, Emerson and Thoreau describe the spiritual growth they experience within nature. The idea that God exists in every aspect of nature is constantly voiced in both chapters, and both men explain how they achieve enlightenment. The ways in which both Emerson and Thoreau regard youth relate to the romantic notion that humans are born innocent, but are corrupted over time by social conventions and thus become less virtuous. Emerson likens the “lover of nature” to a
spirituality and intellectualism. Transcendentalism emphasizes interrelated relationships between nature, divinity, and human kind; a faith in intuition, by way of passive perception. Among this movement arise two philosophers: Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Thoreau was Emerson’s student and adopted many of Emerson’s views, but also used those views as a base for his own. Based on Emerson’s and Thoreau’s work such as “Self-Reliance” and “Walden,” major philosophical differences in their approach