Whitman and Dickenson Essay

Emerson and Thoreau's pieces of literature can help a teenager understand the importance of originality. This is because each of their pieces of writing inculcate ideas about being original, which can influence teens to act more like themselves rather than how society wants them to be. For instance, in one of his pieces "Self Reliance," Emerson expresses, "As soon as he has acted or spoken with eclat, he is a common person watched by the sympathy or the hatred of hundreds, whose affections must now enter into his

In “Self-Reliance”, Emerson adopts the rhetorical strategy of aphorisms to annex what he thinks by enriching his thesis, while allowing a pause in the reader’s mind to comprehend just what he is saying. Emerson’s honest aphorism advises people to actually believe in themselves in order to be triumphant by saying, “To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart, is true for all men, --- that is genius” (Emerson 1) and “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string” (Emerson 3). The aphorism demonstrates that believing in themselves, and what is important to them, the reader, is what everyone else does, that being an individual is a genius idea. Comparing this to what society, especially the younger individuals with in society, they themselves hear differently, that they

In Thoreau's Civil Disobedience, he argues that when civil laws conflict with an individual's morality, the individual should follows his conscience. Thoreau like many Transcendentalists felt a less involved government was best. Thoreau wrote, "That government is best which governs not at all." Obviously, Thoreau realized that he could afford to take this open opinion on government because of the American government. But he felt that government's authority should be limited to physical matters of the country, such as infrastructure and orderliness. He felt a government that become involved in moral matters such as sobriety and slavery was a government over-stepping its boundaries. Ultimately, Thoreau and other transcendentalists felt a utopian society would be the best.

The purpose the Romantic hero served was to give people ambition and inspiration. Romantics, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, gave readers a sense of optimism to their readers. Rousseau proclaimed, “For us, to exist is to feel”. (Fiero) This theory essentially means that people use their emotions to develop their own opinions, or state of mind. The spirit of the heroic self was anticipated in Rousseau’s declaration: “I am made unlike anyone I have ever met; I will even venture to say that I am like no one in the whole world. I may be no better, but at least I am different.” (Fiero) With these proclamations, Rousseau and other Romantics embrace others to feel what they feel which is a sense of

Within the passage of Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, it demonstrates multiple examples of Romanticism. The concepts being mentioned are ideas about going transcending ordinary societal beliefs, following ones’ intuition, and creating a new moral law.

Thoreau is basically rallying for the absence of government in the lives of the citizens. He believed that everyone should govern himself. He also believed that no one should have to ride on the shoulders of the government, but instead rely on himself. He thought people should treat other people the way they wanted to be treated, and follow the natural laws of society. Martin Luther King Jr. believed there should be laws or it would be total anarchy. Thoreau believed that without the

     One of the primary issues that Emerson tried to convey was that one must follow what they believe is true for themselves and not listen to what other people think. He states,

In “Self Reliance”, Emerson discusses being one’s own person and not allowing society to mold someone like a piece of clay; “Trust thyself” are the exact words he used. Trusting oneself means it is okay to be different if one wants or chooses to be different. It

There is a flaws in our government system therefore we must government system. In order to reform government system people should stop accepting government decision, instead of accepting government decision they should disobey the law. Also, his purpose is to point out his audience that citizens are machines they accept everything government told them to do therefore he is criticizing them and he believes they are responsible for the flaws in the government system. Therefore, he likes people who are go against government like him.

Emerson claims, “To believe your own thought...that is genius...A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the luster of the firmament of bards and sages”(14). In this quote, he states that we must be able to detect and live by what we believe and trust our own thoughts as we contain all the amount of wisdom needed to live and succeed.

Thoreau’s essay represents his beliefs about the government in 1849. He uses several logos with credible examples, and uses the emotions of the audience to support his argument. The first example of logos he uses is when he says, “The objections which have been brought against a standing army, and they are many and weighty, and deserve to prevail, may also at last be brought against a standing government.” His claim is that it is unconstitutional to have an army standing or ready when everything is peaceful. The government should act under this same rule; if there is peace then the government should not be standing so to speak. Throughout the essay he continues to provide credible examples of why the government abuses its power and is useless; such as when he says “Yet this government never of itself furthered any enterprise, but by the alacrity with which it got out of its way. It does not keep the country free. It does not settle the West. It does not educate. The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished; and it would have done somewhat more, if the government had not sometimes got in its

Romanticism began in the time following the age of reason. Instead of philosophers focusing on logic and reason, they were less rational and more intuitive. Within this ideal, the perceived message was everything you needed to know was captured within you and nature. After this philosophy was brought into practice, many people began to branch off of this ideal. One of these branches was transcendentalism.

“‘That government is best which governs not at all’“ The government according to Thoreau should stay out of the people’s way. “... they would be deserve to be classed and punished with those mischievous persons who put obstructions on the railroads.” Thoreau is saying how the government is just as low as the people to try to ruin the railroads. Individual rights should be what governs man, not all the bs rules and laws they expect us to follow. If we made choices made on personal judgement without the chance of breaking the law we’d be better off, or that’s what Thoreau believes. I believe that if people weren’t so hard headed, and broke the law just to get their point across, we would all see a better governed life. The government is only

The Romantics wrote about how man has no boundaries and endless possibilities. ‘Who,’ Emerson asked, ‘can set boundaries to the possibilities of man.” “the romantics stressed the human potential for social progress and spiritual growth.