Transcendentalism Study Guide
Key Ideas in Transcendentalism: Write each theme and a brief description of what it means
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Things we read:
“Self-Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) (the “father” of Transcendentalism)
Words to define:
aphorism –
nonconformist –
paradox –
essay –
Main points of “Self-Reliance” were: (See notes or worksheet & write them below)
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
“Walden” by Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
Words to define:
nature writing –
Why did Thoreau decide to live in the woods? Why did he decide to return from there?
“Civil Disobedience” by Thoreau
According to Thoreau, what are the 3 ways to serve the state? (Include examples)
1.
2.
3.
In what ways was Thoreau a non-conformist? (Provide examples)
What was his idea of reform?
According to Thoreau, what should one do with an unjust law that is harming someone?
Why do some people criticize Thoreau?
Poems by Walt Whitman (1819-1892)
 “Song of Myself”
 “I Hear America Singing”
 “I Sit and Look Out”
 “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer”
Words to define:
Free verse –
Form –
Conventional –
Organic –
Catalog –
Repetition -
What type of form did Walt Whitman use for his poetry?
Why were many critics and readers offended by Whitman’s poems?