Transcendentalism

Transcendentalism was an American literary, philosophical, and religious movement of the early and mid-19th century. The movement attracted a diverse population ranging from radical feminist activists to reformers to poets, all of whom believed that embracing one’s natural talents could produce a better society rooted in imagination, nature, and an ideal of self-sufficiency. Within this study guide collection, you’ll encounter writers who formed the cornerstone of the Transcendentalist literary movement, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Margaret Fuller.

Publication year 1865Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Realism, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Transcendentalism

Publication year 1849Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Transcendentalism, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

Henry David Thoreau’s “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,” more commonly known as “Civil Disobedience,” originated as a Concord Lyceum lecture given in January 1848 as the Mexican-American War was winding down. The essay and its central thesis—that following one’s conscience trumps the need to follow the law—have profoundly impacted global history, political philosophy, and American thought, notably influencing both Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.The text was originally published in an 1849 essay... Read Civil Disobedience Summary


Publication year 1838Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Philosophy, Transcendentalism, Religion / Spirituality, American Literature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1860Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Transcendentalism

Publication year 1896Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: LonelinessTags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Transcendentalism, American Literature, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2000Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Aging, Self DiscoveryTags Historical Fiction, Relationships, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Agriculture, Grief / Death, Transcendentalism, Religion / Spirituality, Classic Fiction

Jayber Crow, published in 2000 by Counterpoint, is one of author Wendell Berry’s 80 novels and is set in the fictional town of Port William on the banks of the Kentucky River. The novel is often classified under transcendentalism, and Berry’s works focus on the agrarian lifestyle he practices in his personal life living and working a farm in rural Kentucky. Many of his novels share what he calls the “Port William membership” and have... Read Jayber Crow Summary


Publication year 1836Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: LiteratureTags Philosophy, Science / Nature, American Literature, Transcendentalism, Education, Education, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1865Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Transcendentalism, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1841Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Philosophy, Transcendentalism, Education, Education, American Literature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help, Classic Fiction

“Self-Reliance” is one of the most famous and representative works of the transcendentalist philosopher/author Ralph Waldo Emerson. Transcendentalism was a literary and philosophical movement of the early- and mid-19th century in the United States. Transcendentalist works stress the purity and goodness of individualism and community with nature, especially over the corruption and conformity of human society and institutions. This essay, published in 1841, is an exploration of self-reliance, or self-sufficiency, as a virtue. Emerson emphasizes... Read Self Reliance Summary


Publication year 1865Genre Poem, FictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: FamilyTags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Transcendentalism, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1856Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Lyric Poem, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Transcendentalism, Education, Education, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

“Song of Myself” is a free verse poem by the American writer, journalist, and poet Walt Whitman. The poem is often classified as a work of transcendentalist literature. Originally self-published by Whitman himself in 1855, it was considerably revised and expanded over subsequent decades. In 1889, “Song of Myself” was released in its final form as part of the last edition of the collection Leaves of Grass. This final version—the version referenced in this guide—is... Read Song of Myself Summary


Publication year 1864Genre Poem, FictionTags Lyric Poem, Transcendentalism, Grief / Death

Publication year 1837Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionTags Transcendentalism, History: U.S.

“The American Scholar” is a lecture by Ralph Waldo Emerson transposed into an essay; it is often classified under transcendentalism. The occasion for the lecture was an address that Emerson gave to the Phi Beta Kappa Society at Cambridge, on August 31, 1837. The subject of the lecture is the role of the American intellectual, as distinct from the European intellectual. Emerson calls for an intellectualism that is engaged, optimistic, and forward-thinking. He believes that... Read The American Scholar Summary


Publication year 1843Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Relationships: MothersTags Sociology, Transcendentalism, History: World

“The Great Lawsuit” is an essay by Margaret Fuller, an American writer known for her contributions to transcendentalism and the women’s rights movement of the 1800s. It was first published in 1843 in The Dial, a journal she edited at the time. Fuller expanded the piece to create Woman in the Nineteenth Century, a book published in 1845.An early example of feminist writing and a vehicle for transcendental ideas, “The Great Lawsuit” centers on concepts... Read The Great Lawsuit Summary


Publication year 1854Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Natural World: EnvironmentTags Transcendentalism, American Literature, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

Walden opens with Thoreau’s explanation of his two-year independent living project on Walden Pond, which spanned from 1845 to 1847. He illuminates his desire to live a solitary, simple life outside of civilization. Over the course of these two years, Thoreau describes his experiences including his immersion in nature, the process of growing his own food, and the pleasure he derives from contemplating the beauty of the woods. He also reflects on the most basic elements... Read Walden Summary


Publication year 1865Genre Poem, FictionTags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Modernism, American Civil War, Transcendentalism, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1999Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Self Discovery, Society: NationTags American Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Philosophy, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: U.S., Transcendentalism