Transcendentalism is a form of idealism; thus, it expands on the essential opinions of personal reflection that relate to general concepts of spirit, unity of life and earth, truth, and intuition of nature. Transcendentalism derives from the word “transcendent”, which ultimately defines as an inspiring, most magnificently uplifting way to describe something. As a search for deeper truth and meaning involving their brilliant lives, Emerson and Thoreau have exulted a new way of complimenting the alliance of human insight and the universal organisms that surround life in itself. “Thoreau and the Crickets”, a poem written by David Wagoner, exposes numerous distinctive characteristics of transcendentalism concerning crickets, and how they are a representation of how gentle, yet alive, nature may be. In addition, James Gorman has written a reflection called “Up a Creek, With a Paddle”, which introduces his way of managing to escape from society, via “water”, during the resulting grief of the New York terrorist acts.
The focus of beauty portrayed from nature and the entire universe is confirmed within the essay, “Up a Creek, With a Paddle.” James Gorman conveys how the natural source and energy of water is his personal approach to relent distraught, perplexed emotions concerning all of society.
“Nature is a healing force, that I find in nature transcendence and meaning”. What I know I can count on in nature is pleasure – sometimes a minor sense of ease and relaxation, sometimes excitement, sometimes an exhilaration so deep it can only be described as joy” (hereinafter, “Up a Creek”).
His resort of canoeing on the soothing river water, an element of nature, symbolizes an obvious subject of peace, which is a form of idealism. The indescribable excitement that James Gorman feels while canoeing is a description of the oversoul, an additional feature of transcendentalism. The oversoul presents an irrational dominion that influences each and every form of nature perfectly, creating an idealistic way of living. In the way that Gorman has illustrated how nature is a sort of healing medicine for mankind, it is made apparent that intuitive and initial actions originate from the relationship between divine, which is the oversoul, and nature. This quotation demonstrates how nature holds unambiguous truth for obtaining inner tranquility. Reflection of his relationship between nature and himself, or mankind, is essential for uniting as equal ingredients of the universe. Transcendentalists are generally aware in the aspect of “here and now” time frames; furthermore, Gorman suggests, “the beauty and force of water is close to life itself – you can get right out on it and simply smell it and feel it (Gorman “Up a Creek”). This is an observable reference to how he believes water is as efficiently alive as a human being. Becoming one with nature, observing the relationships, and demonstrating respect for one another, convey a unique connection that transcendentalist achieve in order to truthfully experience the atmosphere of the universe in which the universal spirit has created equally. The main idea of canoeing alone to reflect, and escape the chaos of reality is a genuine example of how transcendentalism is constructed with an enormous amount of self-reliance. Gorman is relying, in a sense, on himself to row upstream, against natures’ forces; however, he also confers, “This wasn’t hard; the exertion was pleasant (Gorman “Up a Creek”). Consequently, he is respecting it’s own way of strength, while he comments on the beautiful surroundings of plants, fish, and birds.
David Wagoner, the author of the poem, “Thoreau and the Crickets,” is in the same way a transcendentalist as Gorman. “Bedded in ice, in the frozen puddles (Wagoner, “Thoreau”). Once again, water is the most significant motif in this poem. The statement of the “house and field crickets” communicates the idea about how the crickets are of the same species; however, they are located within different settings. Relatively, this compares with an idea that manifests how human beings and all other nature organisms are created from the same universal spirit; however, we are located within different levels of society. These two concepts contribute to the understanding of how life as humans and nature intersect at a certain point. The oversoul is described, “of their chitin and magnified (Wagoner, “Thoreau”)”, because nature magnifies God’s creation. Indubitably, as Wagoner composes, “the foundation of his house on earth, it corresponds how the relationship between manmade materials and the earth for the reason that it is essential that they benefit from one another. Educational learning from different varieties of natural, living organisms exemplifies how scientists operate and study nature to obtain modern knowledge in technology that we use, support, and advance upon today. Towards the end of the middle section, Wagoner writes how Thoreau pays “homage to all they’d been and left undone.” This passage is a definite characteristic of transcendentalism because it is as if the crickets’ lives meant just as much as a human beings life. All creation is at equal love with God, the universal spirit. Thoreau then reflects upon the fact that these dead crickets have helped him realize how important it is to live life to its fullest, and to not ignore or neglect any gracious opportunity. At the final stages of this particular poem, water was “dripping with snow-meltФ in order to reveal that the “resurrected crickets” are now fully alive and crawling about as they had before frozen. It is made apparent that true reformation of the once frozen crickets was not emphasized, nor forced; moreover, this rehabilitation stems from within natureТs courses and phenomenon’s. Purity and simplicity are major concepts of transcendentalism, which are completely unexplainable, besides from stating that is a gift of the mysticism of the oversoul. “Then put them gently again into his pocketsЕ through the snow and ice to their cold beds (Wagoner, “Thoreau”).” This quote reveals that a transcendentalist has faith in intuition, and that events will take on their course properly by means of the oversoul, because religion does not communicate accurately the meaning of truth.
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau are the two most influential transcendentalists and are highly extolled for their contribution to this movement nineteenth century. “The Supreme Being, does not build up nature around us, but puts it forth through us (Emerson, Adventures 214).” Emerson informs that human intellect and nature are bound together as one equal component of creation. We are constructed by God, as are animals, plants, and insects. Self-reliance, friendship, and experiences with nature are all transcendental features with which Emerson discusses in his essays. A powerful point directed to all humans is, “We but half express ourselves, and are ashamed of that divine idea which each of us represents (Emerson, Adventures 215).” This quote explains that we need to express ourselves as individualists, without relying on each other for material goods, or social purposes.
Henry David Thoreau, who wrote a famous book called “Waldon”, emphasizes on direct orders aiming toward Уsimplicity, simplicity, simplicity (Thoreau, Adventures 232-234).Ф While living unaccompanied in a cottage in the woods, which is a form of self-reliance, he wrote about the memorable encounters he obtained from this impressive experience. A passage that portrays the oversoul states “heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads (Thoreau, Adventures 237).” Clearly, Thoreau was attempting to enlighten the image of heaven, affirming that heaven surrounds every tiny corner of the universe.
Transcendentalism was a religious, philosophical, and literary movement. While Emerson and Thoreau were, in essence, the founders of this movement, they emphasized the viewpoint of seeking inner values of believing that the oversoul is our creator, who we originate from. This oversoul, life force, or God can be found everywhere and anywhere at any time through nature; furthermore, “Thoreau and the Crickets” and “Up a Creek, With a Paddle” are two excellent examples of transcendentalism and its philosophy.
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