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1a. Walden -“Where I Lived and What I Lived For”

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1a. Walden -“Where I Lived and What I Lived For”

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"Little is to be expected of that day...to which we are not awakened by our Genius, but by the mechanical nudgings of some servitor, are not awakened by our own newly acquired force and aspirations from within, accompanied by the undulations of celestial music, instead of factory bells... air- to a higher life than we fell asleep from..."(1)

The reason this quote stood out to me was because of its reference to things that even now in the modern-day continue to be a distraction from reality, like modern technology and industrialization.

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"They who never go to the Holy Land in their walks, as they pretend, are indeed mere idlers and vagabonds; but they who do go there are saunterers in the good sense, such as I mean."(2)

Thoreau's words resonate in this statement. They represent how people act like they are truly going out into nature even though they are just taking a walk in their city. Many do not experience the beauty of a real walk, since they are continuously distracted by modern-day attractions, such as advertisements, propaganda, and societal standards.

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"In the tranquil landscape, and especially in the distant line of the horizon, man beholds somewhat as beautiful as his own nature."(2)

I am touched by this quote since it reveals the impact nature can have on man; people in the modern world have lost themselves and their true identity for the most part trying following societal standards and trends. if we decide to truly appreciate nature, we can revoke that impact, and find our personal beauty again.

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"All men are in some degree impressed by the face of the world; some men even to delight. This love of beauty is taste. Others have the same love in such excess, that, not content with admiring, they seek to embody it in new forms."(4)

Emerson connects to the modern thought of beauty in his essay. People consider many items outside of nature beautiful in the modern world. I can relate to this concept of beauty,  which could include cities, people, inventions, and other things directly aligned with the existence of man; even I see many parts of the modern world as beautiful.

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"There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till."

Emerson makes a reference to how people do not appreciate themselves and accept the resources and talent they have; instead they covet and envy others' luxuries and possessions.

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Whitman's poem, "O Me! O Life!" speaks to the idea of wanting to abandon modern society. Whitman explains how he wants to escape society since it seems to be bombarding his mind with stress and standards that he does not find it necessary to meet. This is similar to Neil Perry's train of thought about his father's treatment towards him in Dead Poet's Society.  Neil does not want to meet up to his father's. standards, and wants to be able to control his own life; pursuing his dream of acting, just like Whitman wants to pursue his dream of connecting with nature and finding his true self.

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Passion connects to the transcendentalist idea of self-reliance and finding our true purpose in life, as well as making a difference in our world.

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My contribution to the world, or verse, will be to discover, explore and learn about the unknown parts of the universe, and expand knowledge of the universe for humanity. I will do this through the study of astrophysics, and searching in the cosmos for new stars, galaxies, and new possible laws of the universe. It will bring about human advancement in all types of scientific categories, and will bring humanity one step closer to knowing the real identity of the universe.

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I see the Universe’s perplexing mysteries,

I see its infinite tormented pains,

I wonder how infinite its potentiality is.

I feel its intergalactic energy

I feel its never-ending power

I feel its attempt to drag me

Into my own wondrous thoughts.

I wonder about its effect on the beings

I wonder why it yearns for them

I wonder why it attempts to persuade them

With a sprinkle-dotted dress.

I wonder what it thinks of us, how it perceives us.

I yearn for its intellect.

I yearn for its interconnectedness,

I yearn for it to divulge itself to me.

I wonder what we mean to it,

I wonder what part we play in it

How expansive our role is.

I wonder if we provide it a purpose.

I desire its affection,

I desire its reconciliation

I desire to lay hands upon its blanket

And become one with it.

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The song "Float" by The Neighborhood is a modern example of transcendentalism. It is about someone who is "thrown into" life and is expected to swim and not just float. It depicts resistance to what society expects from us, rather than how we want to live our life.

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#be1withtheuniverse connects with the idea of transcendentalism by promoting the idea of interaction, and interconnection with the universe. It plays upon the idea that we are all a collective, and part of something much bigger than ourselves.

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Places close by where I live, just right outside my house I could experience nature, bring myself peace, and begin to inherit nature's morals.

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Sunsets like these can bring peace to the human mind, and allow it to focus more deeply on the truly amazing works of nature. This is nature's palette, more beautiful than anything a person can depict.

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The beach can provide relaxation, peace and focus to the human mind. Communing with nature feeds our soul in ways nothing else can quite do. Nature gives us a sense that we are just small part of a great creation.

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8. Challenges to Modern Transcendentalism 

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8. Challenges to Modern Transcendentalism 

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A major challenge to living out the transcendental tenets in the modern world is technology, which allows access to social media, streaming services, and a myriad of other platforms that inundate us with information.

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The image connects to transcendentalism by portraying individualism and isolation with nature, to therefore connect with nature.

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9. Transcendentalism in the Modern World

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9. Transcendentalism in the Modern World

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Transcendentalism is a school of thought that promotes the idea that to live our best possible life, we need to be connected with nature, be self-reliant individuals, and contribute meaningfully to society.

Emerson - “In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows. Nature says, — he is my creature, and maugre all his impertinent griefs, he shall be glad with me."(2, Nature)
Emerson - "And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not minors and invalids in a protected corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but guides, redeemers, and benefactors, obeying the Almighty effort, and advancing on Chaos and the Dark." (3, Self-Reliance)
Thoreau - “I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right."(4, Civil Disobedience)