PartIIITheLiteratureofRomanticismTranscendentalismC.1830s-1850sNature(1836)asmanifestoThesummitofAmericanromanticismandthefirstrenaissanceintheAmericanliteraryhistoryThetermwasderivedfromtheLatinverbtranscendere:toriseabove,topassbeyondthelimitsHistoricalIntroduction(RiseofTranscendentalism)AprotestagainstthegeneralstateofcultureandsocietyTheproductofcombinationofforeigninfluenceandAmericannativePuritantraditionRomanticidealism,Philosophicalromanticism1.SpiritorOversoul2.Individualismthemostimportantelementinsocietythedivinityofindividualidealtypeofman:self-reliantindividual3.NatureassymboloftheSpiritorGodlinkbetweenGodandmanLeaders:EmersonandThoreauClub:TranscendentalistClub(Cambridge,Massachusetts,onSeptember8,1836)Journal:TheDialInfluenceWeakness6.RalphWaldoEmerson(1803-1882)philosopher,poetandessayistprose,poetry,speechspokesmanofNewEnglandTranscendentalismLife(Calvinism,Unitarianism(唯一神教派),triptoEuropeandbackwithEuropeanRomanticism)Believeinahigherindividualism;thespiritualnatureofreality;theimportanceofself-reliance;theobediencetoinstinct;independenceofmind;theobligationofoptimismandhope;theexistenceofaunifyingOversoulseeminglyunqualifiedacceptanceoflifeandcheerfuloptimismEmerson’saestheticsHisessay“ThePoet”(Essays,SecondSeries1844)markedthebirthoftrueAmericanpoetryandtrueAmericanpoetssuchasWhitmanandEmilyDickinson.Heplacesemphasisonideas,symbols,andimaginativewords.Formisimportantwhenfusedwellwithcontent.Intheme,poemsaretocelebrateAmericaandthelifeoftoday.Truepoetryshouldserveasamoralpurificationandapassagetowardorganicunityandhigherreality.Intheintellectualhistory,heembodiesanewnation’sdesireandstruggletoassertitsownidentityinitsformativeperiod.DuringhislifetimehewasconsideredoneofthetwoorthreebestwritersinAmerica,andcertainlythemostinfluentialamonghiscontemporaries.Hisreputationhasfallensomewhatinthepresentcentury.MajorWorksNature1836Collections:Essays:FirstSeries1841Essays:SecondSeriesRepresentativeMen1850EnglishTraits1856TheConductofLife1860Essays:“TheAmericanScholar”1837“TheOver-Soul”1841“Self-Reliance”1841“TheTranscendentalist”1842“ThePoet”(1841-1843)“TheAmericanScholar”(1837)hasbeenregarded(firstbyOliverWendellHolmes)as“America’sDeclarationofIntellectualIndependence”Idea:Americansshouldwriteabouthereandnowinsteadofimitatingandimportingfromotherlands.“Wewillwalkonourownfeet;wewillworkwithourownhands;DivineSoulwhichalsoinspiresallmen.”—“TheAmericanScholar”“Soshallwecometolookattheworldwithneweyes.Itshallanswertheendlessinquiryoftheintellect,—Whatistruth?andoftheaffections,—Whatisgood?byyieldingitselfpassivetotheeducatedWill....Build,therefore,yourownworld.Asfastasyouconformyourlifetothepureideainyourmind,thatwillunfolditsgreatproportions.Acorrespondentrevolutioninthingswillattendtheinfluxofthespirit.”—“TheAmericanScholar”7.HenryDavidThoreau(1817-1862)essayistandpoettruestdiscipleofEmersonLeaderofAmericanTranscendentalismLife(1845-1847)HisstatuewasplacedinthehallofFameinNewYorkin1969.Hewasverycriticalofmoderncivilization:“Civilizedmanistheslaveofmatter.”“Mostoftheluxuriesandmanyoftheso-calledcomfortsoflifearenotonlynotindispensable,butpositivehindrancestotheelevationofmankind.”—ThoreauMajorWorks“ResistancetoCivilGovernment”,(or“CivilDisobedience”)1849AWeekontheConcordandMerrimackRivers1849Walden,orLifeintheWoods1854SlaveryinMassachusetts1854APleaforCaptainJohnBrown1859“LifeWithoutPrinciple”1863TheMaineWoods1864CapeCod1865Walden,orLifeintheWoods(1854)Thebookcompressesthattimeintoasinglecalendaryear,usingthepassageoffourseasonstosymbolizehumandevelopment.ItisabouthisexperienceinacabinonWaldenPondfortwoyearsandtwomonths.“Simplicity,simplicity,simplicity!”Itconcludesonaclearnoteofoptimismandhope.ItisagreatTranscendentalistworkwith“regeneration”asamajorthematicconcern.Itearnedhimthenameof“nullifier(废弃者,取消者)ofcivilization”.Itisabookofself-culture(自修)andhumanperfectibility.ThoreaunotonlyembracedEmerson’sTranscendentalistphilosophy,butwentfurthertoillustratethepantheistical(泛神论)qualityofnature.Heholdsthatthemostimportantthingformentodowiththeirlivesistobeself-sufficientandstrivetoachievepersonalspiritualperfection.WaldenisarecordofThoreau'stwoyearexperimentoflivingatWaldenPond.Thewriter'schiefemphasisisonthesimplificationsandenjoymentoflifenow.Itisregardedasanaturebook.ado-it-yourselfguidetosimplelife.asatiricalcriticismofmodernlifeandliving.abelletristic(纯文学的)achievement.aspiritualbook.QuotationsfromWaldenIwenttothewoodsbecauseIwishedtolivedeliberately,tofronttheessentialfactsoflife,andseeifIcouldnotlearnwhatithadtoteach,andnot,whenIcametodie,discoverthatIhadnotlived.Ididnotwishtolivewhatwasnotlife,livingissodear;nordidIwishtopractiseresignation,unlessitwasquitenecessary.Iwantedtolivedeepandsuckoutallthemarrowoflife,tolovesosturdily(坚毅地)andSpartan-likeastoputtorout(击溃)allthatwasnotlife,tocutabroadswathandshaveclose,todrivelifeintoacorner,andreduceittoitslowestterms,and,ifitprovedtobemean,whythentogetthewholeandgenuinemeannessofit,an