1800’s- 1860’s The Transcendentalism Period

1
1800s- 1860sThe Transcendentalism Period

• Created by,
• Nikki Clewis, Olivia Cunningham and
• Tommy Hughey

2
Historical Background

• Transcendentalist writers flourished in the
  1830s to 1840s
• During the industrial revolution individuals felt
  unimportant seeing how easily they could be
  replaced by a machine along with the downplay of
  an individuals importance by the church.
• Ralph Emerson, a pastor at the time, thought
  otherwise. He gave credit to the power of the
  human mind, thinking individuals are the ones
  that influenced society, not politics, religions
  or organizations.

3
Historical Background

• Many Transcendentalist were strong abolitionists
  and opposed the American Civil War. Henry
  Thoreau, in protest of war and slavery, wrote
  Civil Disobedience and refused to pay taxes. He
  was imprisoned for not paying taxes an went to
  jail for a day.
• This display of nonviolent protest inspired many
  throughout history including Martian Luther King
  Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi.
• Transcendentalist derives from "transcend, to
  rise. Meaning to rise above the primitive
  animalistic impulses of life and move from the
  normal, rational thinking to a spiritual realm.

4
1800s Dresses

• This was the style for women in the 1800s.
• In that time it was indecent for women to show
  skin above the ankle
• Hats helped keep the sun off of their fair faces.

5
Harper Weekly

• It was very rare to see a photograph in the
  newspaper during the 1800s.
• Importance
• right before the civil war
• helped the general public see actual images of
  the war
• The public was more aware and involved
• The newspaper is now considered collectables

6
Thomas Alva Edison

• Devolved the electric light bulb in the late
  1800s.
• light(1)
• n., v., adj. n. 1. the natural
  agent (electromagnetic radiation of wavelength
  between about 390 and 740 mm) that stimulates
  sight and makes things visible. 2. the medium or
  condition of the space in which this is present.
  3. an appearance of brightness (saw a distant
  light). 4. a a source of light, e.g. the sun, or
  a lamp, fire, etc. b (in pl.) illuminations. 5.
  (often in pl.) a traffic-light (went through a
  red light stop at the lights). 6. a the amount
  or quality of illumination in a place (bad light
  stopped play). b one's fair or usual share of
  this (you are standing in my light). 7. a a flame
  or spark serving to ignite (struck a light). b a
  device producing this (have you got a light?). 8.
  the aspect in which a thing is regarded or
  considered (appeared in a new light). 9. a mental
  illumination elucidation, enlightenment. b hope,
  happiness a happy outcome. c spiritual
  illumination by divine truth. 10. vivacity,
  enthusiasm, or inspiration visible in a person's
  face, esp. in the eyes. 11. (in pl.) a person's
  mental powers or ability (according to one's
  lights). 12. an eminent person (a leading light).
  13. a the bright part of a thing a highlight. b
  the bright parts of a picture etc. esp.
  suggesting illumination (light and shade). 14. a
  a window or opening in a wall to let light in. b
  the perpendicular division of a mullioned window.
  c a pane of glass esp. in the side or roof of a
  greenhouse. 15. (in a crossword etc.) each of the
  items filling a space and to be deduced from the
  clues. 16. Law the light falling on windows, the
  obstruction of which by a neighbour is illegal.
  v. (past lit past part. lit or (attrib.)
  lighted) 1. tr. intr. set burning or begin to
  burn ignite. 2. tr. provide with light or
  lighting. 3. tr. show (a person) the way or
  surroundings with a light. 4. intr. (usu. foll.
  by up) (of the face or eyes) brighten with
  animation. adj. 1. well provided with light not
  dark. 2. (of a colour) pale (light blue a
  light-blue ribbon). bring (or come) to light
  reveal or be revealed. festival of lights 1.
  HANUKKAH. 2. DIWALI. in a good (or bad) light
  giving a favourable (or unfavourable) impression.
  in the light of having regard to drawing
  information from. light-bulb a glass bulb
  containing an inert gas and a metal filament,
  providing light when an electric current is
  passed through. lighting-up time the time during
  or after which vehicles on the road must show the
  prescribed lights. light meter an instrument for
  measuring the intensity of the light, esp. to
  show the correct photographic exposure. light of
  day 1. daylight, sunlight. 2. general notice
  public attention. light of one's life usu. joc. a
  much-loved person. light-pen (or -gun) 1. a
  penlike or gunlike photosensitive device held to
  the screen of a computer terminal for passing
  information on to it. 2. a light-emitting device
  used for reading bar-codes. light show a display
  of changing coloured lights for entertainment.
  light up 1. colloq. begin to smoke a cigarette
  etc. 2. switch on lights or lighting illuminate
  a scene. light-year 1. Astron. the distance light
  travels in one year, nearly 6. million million
  miles. 2. (in pl.) colloq. a long distance or
  great amount. lit up colloq. drunk. out like a
  light deeply asleep or unconscious. throw (or
  shed) light on help to explain. lightish adj.
  lightless adj. lightness n. OE leoht, liht,
  lihtan f. Gmc

7
Ghost Dance

• history of the Native Americans gt Indigenous
  trends from 1800
• New indigenous musical trends emerged in the
  1800s as native communities began to develop
  their own hymn repertories, fiddle traditions,
  and marching bands. American Indians began
  publishing their own hymnals to use in Christian
  worship during the first half of the 19th
  century. Some of these bookssuch as Indian
  Melodies, published in 1845 by a Narragansett
  composer.

8
Literature terms

• simile (sim'?-le) n.   A figure of speech in
  which two essentially unlike things are compared,
  often in a phrase introduced by like or as
• Dickinson, Emily. I heard a fly buzz- when i
  died. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey Pearson
  Prentice hall, 2004.
• - The stillness in the room
• Was like the stillness in the Air-
• metaphor met-uh-fawr, -fer noun
• 1.a figure of speech in which a term or phrase
  is applied to something to which it is not
  literally applicable in order to suggest a
  resemblance
• Emerson, Ralph. The Snowstorm . Upper Saddle
  River, New Jersey Pearson Prentice hall, 2004.
• - Announced by all the trumpets of the sky

9
Continued

• symbolism (sim'b?-liz'?m) -noun
• The practice of representing things by means of
  symbols or of attributing symbolic meanings or
  significance to objects, events, or
  relationships.
• Emerson, Ralph. Concord Hymn. Upper Saddle River,
  New Jersey Pearson Prentice hall, 2004.
• -We set a votive stone
• point of view noun
• 1.a specified or stated manner of consideration
  or appraisal standpointWhitman, Walt. Song of
  Myself. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey Pearson
  Prentice hall, 2004.
• - I celebrate myself and sing myself
• imagery    im-ij-ree noun, plural -ries.
• 1.the formation of mental images, figures, or
  likenesses of things, or of such images
  collectivelyWhitman, Walt. from Song of Myself.
  Upper Saddle River, New Jersey Pearson Prentice
  hall, 2004.
• - The clear light plays on the brown gray and
  green intertwined

10
Themes

• The ideals of transcendentalists included a
  regard for nature, non-materialism, independence,
  and individualism.
• Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote The Over-Soul in
  1838, an essay describing his beliefs in a direct
  relationship one should have with God and Nature
  and that mans soul is not an independent organ
  but everything shares the same, connected soul,
  an Over-Soul.

11
Themes

• The ideals of American democracy is a cornerstone
  of transcendentalism, which is tied in to the
  idea of American individuality.
• Transcendentalists question rules and laws
  presented to them, attempting to changes the ones
  that they believe are unjust, including the
  validity of slavery.

12
Themes

• Henry Thoreau wrote the story Walden while he
  lived at Walden Pond, giving much insight to his
  naturalistic views.
• Transcendentalist believed Americas westward
  expansion held endless opportunities for man and
  that freedom is in nature.

13
Themes

• The transcendentalist goals was to break free
  from what is constricting and to move towards
  freedom and the expansive.
• Emerson also published an essay entitled
  Self-Reliance, stating that he thinks mankind
  is afraid of failure and that people never
  express themselves. He goes on to say that the
  first step to be your real self is to be a
  non-conformist.

14
Themes

• Transcendentalists believed in dualism, or that
  everything has a natural balance, a yin and yang.
  Except that things werent a negative of
  something else, simply the absence of it.
• Transcendentalists believed the universe is not
  static, it is ever changing. One should never
  hold on to the same belief, for tomorrow it may
  be different.

15
Poems

• Is one of three major types of literature. Form
  and content are closely connected.
• Often divided into stanzas and may employ regular
  rhythmical patterns or meters.
• Ralf Waldo Emerson Poems (1847)
• Henry David Thoreau The Main Woods (after
  death, 1862), Cape Cod (after death,1862), A
  Yankee I Canada (after 1862), Posthumously
  (1817-1862)
• His work reflects the economy that he strove for
  throughout his life and The Walden reflects
  that.
• Emily Dickenson I heard a fly buzz- when I
  died, There is a solitude of space, Water is
  taught by thirst (there is date to when these
  were written, only when they were published after
  1886, when she died.)
• She was a poetic genius who used simple but
  forceful language.
• Walt Whitman
• His poems became less confusing and had more
  symbolic, expression and universal feeling in
  them.

16
Essays

• Is a short nonfiction work about a particular
  subject. It can be formal or informal, personal
  or impersonal. The can be classified by
  descriptive, persuasive or narrative.
• Ralf Waldo Emerson Respective Men (1849), The
  conduct of life (1860)
• His poems and essays express his beliefs in
  individuality and inhumanitys supernatural
  connection to nature.
• Henry David from Walden (1854)
• His master work
• Walt Whitman Leaves of Grass (was reshaped and
  expanded until 1892, when he died.)
• He broke traditional rules of rhyme and rhythm,
  also his lifes work.

17
Authors
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Henry David Thoreau
Emily Dickinson
Walt Whitman
18
Ralph Waldo Emerson

• Bio -. At 14, he entered Harvard and began a
  journal he kept for all his life.
• After School he became a pastor, but that was
  short lived when he saw the harsh spiritual
  restrictions and left.
• He went to Europe , and when he
• came back, he started his writing career.
• In time, he became a widely sought lecturer.
• Works 1st achieved national fame in 1841, when
  he published Essays, a collection based on
  material from his journal and lectures.
• Contributions to Society he had influence on
  young people and his beliefs still inspire people.

19
Henry David Thoreau

• Bio From the time he was a kid, he was
  eccentric, and rarely followed rules.
• It was his mother that kept in school and
  enrolled at Harvard.
• In 1841, while living in Ralph
• Waldo Emersons house became interested in his
  Transcendentalist beliefs. He dedicated his life
  to writing about them.
• Works While living in a cabin alone, he wrote
  Walden, his best piece and now considered a
  supreme work of literature.
• Contributions to Society - After his death, he
  received little to no recognition. But since then
  has grown over the years. His work has inspired
  writers, environmentalists, and his readers.

20
Walt Whitman

• Bio Born on Long Island
• No formal education but read frequently.
• He went to New Orleans for an editor job, but got
  fired for his opposition to slavery.
• He returned to New York and started writing
  poetry
• Works His lifes work Leaves of Grass
• He reshaped it until his death in 1892.
• Has become one of the most highly regarded
  collections of poetry ever.
• Today, recognized as one of the greatest and
  influential poets from the U.S

21
Emily Dickinson

• Bio Born in Massachusetts
• As an adult, highly isolated
• Only talked to few through poems and notes
• Works Not until 1955, when The Poems Of Emily
  Dickinson was published that she had
  recognition.
• Most of her poems published after her death
• Contribution Today, widely regarded as one of
  the greatest poets.

22
Citation

• "Britian in the 1800's". google. 8-23-2008
  lthttp//www.ourwardfamily.com/images/London_1800s
  _-_1.jpggt.
• "Oxford English Dictionary - light(1)". Oxford
  English Dictionary . 8-23-08 lthttp//www.few.vu.n
  l/bvhoute/english/search.php?querylight(1)gt.
• "Native American music." Encyclopædia Britannica.
  2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 23 Aug.
  2008  lthttp//original.britannica.com/eb/article-
  272246gt.
• "Ghost Dance". google. 8-23-08 lthttp//www.library
  .jhu.edu/bin/b/f/oldbooks.jpggt.
• "images". google. 8-23-08 lthttp//www.lib.udel.ed
  u/ud/spec/exhibits/text/emily91.jpggt.
• "images". google. 8-23-08 http//imagecache2.allpo
  sters.com/images/pic/adc/10209524AWalt- Whitman-P
  osters.jpggt.
• America is Freedom. Kejda Gjermani 8/14/08
  http//kejda.net/category/essays/
• "New England Transcendentalism". Age-of-the-Sage.
  8/19/08 lthttp//www.age-of-the- sage.org/transcend
  entalism/transcendentalism.htmlgt.
• Reuben , Paul. "Chapter 4 Henry David Thoreau
  (1817-1862) ". PAL Perspectives in American
  Literature - A Research and Reference Guide - An
  Ongoing Project . 8/19/08 lthttp//www.csustan.edu
  /english/reuben/pal/chap4/thoreau.htmlgt.
• "Transcendentalism Summary / Study Guide".
  enotes. 8/19/08 lthttp//www.enotes.com/transcende
  ntalismgt.
• 1800's Dress. 8/25/o8 lthttp//www.sonofthesouth
  .net/leefoundation/civil- war/1864/september/dress
  -1800s.jpggt
• EzJail. 8/25/08 http//erdgeist.org/arts/softwar
  e/ezjail/jail.jpg
• History of Harper's Weekly. 8/25/08
  http//www.sonofthesouth.net/pics/Linclon/h1861p2
  68_small.jpg

23
Citations

• Prentice Hall Literature Timeless Voices,
  Timeless Themes The American Experience. Upper
  Saddle River, NJ Pearson Education, Inc., 2004.
  pg
• poetry on the road 8-25-08 http//www.esono.com
  /boris/projects/poetry05/images/poetry_05_ausschni
  tt_w1.gif
• poem of ecstasy 8-25-08 http//www.walking-p-bar
  .com/shopsite/media/graphicp/Poem-of- Ecstasy.jpg
• googleimages 8-25-08 http//images.google.com/im
  gres?imgurlhttp//www.archives.gov/exhibits/ameri
  can_originals_iv/images/thomas_edison/thomas_ediso
  n.jpgimgrefurlhttp//www.archives.gov/exhibits/a
  merican_originals_iv/images/thomas_edison/thomas_e
  dison.htmlh759w550sz144hlenstart1usg__
  okcpznXeC8GB4eiwdDVsvWD2kIMtbnid64drS5GvwJ3Q_M
  tbnh142tbnw103prev/images3Fq3Dthomas2Bedi
  son26gbv3D226hl3Den26sa3DX
• reference Dictionary 8/25/08 lthttp//dictionary.
  reference.com/gt

24

• THE
• END!!!
• BYE