FREE ESSAY ON WAS THERE EVER?

WAS THERE EVER?

~Transcendentalism : In The 19th Century~
Transcendentalism revealed itself in the beginning of the 19th century with talented
writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman. These
well-educated men brought such ideas as individualism, imagination, and nature to life
through their works. Many writers in the transcendentalism period included such
characteristics in their pieces. Some of the characteristics are spiritual well being,
individualism, nature, and imagination. There are some that make these characteristics
more evident than others are such as, Walden by Henry David Thoreau, I Sit and Look Out
by Walt Whitman, and I Hear America Singing also by Walt Whitman. 
Walden by Henry David Thoreau, was a well-written piece and thoroughly explains and
describes nature and the spiritual utopia that comes with it. " The bullfrogs trump to
usher in the night," this explains the likeness of nature's bullfrogs to musical beauty
and song. " What sort of space is that which separates a man from his fellows and makes
him solitary? I have found that no exertion of the legs can bring two minds much nearer
to one another..." In response to the men who 
frequently pester him about loneliness he says this and it clarifies that when one is
alone in the wilderness or just solitary in general, far away from the cities, fellow
humans, and busy life, he isn't farther away because of the distance there is between he
and the other. He insinuates that the mind could distance one from any other more or less
than the exertion of one's legs, and that a journey far from civilization could bring two
people closer together mentally than ever before. " Like the marmots in the surrounding
hills, it closes its eyelids and becomes dormant for three months or more." Here, Thoreau
describes the pond in the winter. He describes it as once lively and busy in the fall and
summer, now is dormant and still, like a picture. The fish don't scurry about as they did
in the frisky winter, but now they just float and are motionless, like the waves that
were once evident in the summer months. This work of Thoreau's just describes nature, one
of the characteristics that make up transcendentalism.
Walt Whitman was a man who could write about a subject in two opposing ways, but still is
the same story in a different perspective. I Hear America Singing is about a man
watching, hearing the sounds of the people and their many contributions to society. The
song of everyone merrily doing their job and liking it, getting things done with a smile
on their face and having an incredible outlook on 
life. " The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl
sewing or washing." This states that each person who is being mentioned is singing,
rejoicing to what is his or hers, whether it be their duties as an individual, or life in
general. " The day what belongs to the day-at night the party of young fellows, robust,
friendly, singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs." This says that the
night is filled with young men singing of their lives, robust and loud with open mouths
singing their full, euphonic song of life. This is a piece of a happier outlook on the
life of the people all around and of the positive attitudes of many. Illustrating
individualism and showing what one can make of their lives by being themselves and
enjoying their own life.
I Sit and Look Out is of complete contrast to I Hear America Singing. I Sit and Look Out
describes a dark, sad, corrupted, sorrowful world. Whereas I Hear America Singing depicts
a brighter and more upbeat society. Walt Whitman uses sad words describing emotion, and
just all sorts of corruption imaginable. " I see the wife misused by her husband, I see
the treacherous seducer of women," Here he paints the picture of the ignored, badly
treated wife by her husband, and the wicked, devious, womanizer/ seducer of innocent
women. "I see the workings of battle, pestilence, tyranny, I see the martyrs and
prisoners." He observes the evil of war, and plague, of 
famine and tyranny, of helpless prisoners and sufferers. But chooses to be silent, to
watch and be silent still. Individualism is illustrated here by him being only that of an
individual and not able to put an end to all the sorrow.
In conclusion, the transcendentalism period was one of great literary works. Bringing
nature, imagination, and individualism to our eyes. Showing all that nature can bring one
to a mental utopia and by making one serene can aid in the mental well rounding of a
person. Whitman's works tell us that everyone plays a part in life. And that you can make
your experience a good or bad one. Singing and rejoicing of the splendors of life can
bring you the pinnacle of your existence. On a darker note however, sitting back and
watching as the world is being corrupted and not having anything to do with trying to
help the situations makes life unbearable. By Whitman's pieces, I can tell you it is all
how you look at life. The two contrasting pieces show that when you focus on the brighter
points of life than you are rarely pestered by life's predicaments. But when you sit back
and don't make the most of your existence you tend to notice the problems a lot easier
than one who was enjoying their life would. It just goes to show you that
transcendentalism is an important part of American literature and without it we would not
realize any of the points brought up in Whitman, or 
Thoreau's works. These were intelligent men and put their emotions and deep thoughts on
paper for us to debate upon or agree with.