Ralph Waldo Emerson and Thoreau
Walden and Romanticism
Living a life where you are worried about nothing but the moment you are in, nothing but your needs to survive. But every minute is spent in pure happiness. You spend your days doing nothing but what your heart tells you. This was one of many of the ideas that authors including Henry David Thoreau prized during the Romantic Movement. The Romantic Movement refers to the era in which writers and philosophers were highly concerned with the soul. The soul is the opposite of intellect. Not meaning lack of intellect rather just a focus on feelings. Rather than calling on men to think and be rational like that of the Enlightenment, there was a call for emotion. There was a call for living everyday not getting through every day. Henry David Thoreau is a prime example of romanticism.
Thoreau has a very deep expression of romanticism in his autobiography “Walden.” One quote from Thoreau that really summed up this whole idea is, “Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.” He is really expressing a beautiful view on life. A life spent in love. The life nature intended us to live not this life of worry and infatuation with money and luxury. To take ones time and enjoy
the moment to the fullest. Don’t just look at what’s in front of you. Live in the sight, get enveloped in it, one would be very surprised how good it feels to get truly lost in something as simple as staring off at the sights. Norton anthology divides the romantic error into two general ideas. One is the idea of individualism; the other is the idea of nature. The basis of individualism is reliance on one’s self. But not for daily needs rather happiness. Individualism isn’t actually calling people to live on their own and not rely on anybody else for anything. It’s a spiritual individualism. It’s a calling to be yourself not who everyone else wants you to be. Do whatever you need
Living a life where you are worried about nothing but the moment you are in, nothing but your needs to survive. But every minute is spent in pure happiness. You spend your days doing nothing but what your heart tells you. This was one of many of the ideas that authors including Henry David Thoreau prized during the Romantic Movement. The Romantic Movement refers to the era in which writers and philosophers were highly concerned with the soul. The soul is the opposite of intellect. Not meaning lack of intellect rather just a focus on feelings. Rather than calling on men to think and be rational like that of the Enlightenment, there was a call for emotion. There was a call for living everyday not getting through every day. Henry David Thoreau is a prime example of romanticism.
Thoreau has a very deep expression of romanticism in his autobiography “Walden.” One quote from Thoreau that really summed up this whole idea is, “Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.” He is really expressing a beautiful view on life. A life spent in love. The life nature intended us to live not this life of worry and infatuation with money and luxury. To take ones time and enjoy
the moment to the fullest. Don’t just look at what’s in front of you. Live in the sight, get enveloped in it, one would be very surprised how good it feels to get truly lost in something as simple as staring off at the sights. Norton anthology divides the romantic error into two general ideas. One is the idea of individualism; the other is the idea of nature. The basis of individualism is reliance on one’s self. But not for daily needs rather happiness. Individualism isn’t actually calling people to live on their own and not rely on anybody else for anything. It’s a spiritual individualism. It’s a calling to be yourself not who everyone else wants you to be. Do whatever you need