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The individual is the key point to be stressed in advocating transcendental rules, for the individual carries the conveyance of one’s own right or liberty and provides people with a room to think and to be alone. It is known that Emerson believes, above all, in individualism, independence of mind, and self-reliance. To Emerson, “As the regeneration of society could only come about through the regeneration of the individual, his perfection, his self-culture and self-improvement, and not the frenzied effort to get rich, should become the first concern of his life”. In another word, transcendentalists like Emerson and Thoreau advise people to depend upon themselves in order to reach spiritual perfection.
2.3 Influence of Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism can be best understood as a somewhat late and localized manifestation of Romantic Movement in literature and philosophy. The triumph of intuition over the five senses, the exaltation of the individual over society, the critical attitude toward formalized religion, the rejection of any kind of restraint or bondage to custom, the new and thrilling delight in nature - all these were in some measure characteristic of transcendentalism. As formulated by Emerson, transcendentalism became a clarion call to action , exhorting young people to cast off their deadening enslavement to past, to follow God within, and to live moment of life with strenuousness , to regard nature as the great object lesson proving God's presence everywhere in His creation. Transcendentalism was also an ethical guide to life for a young nation of America. It preached the positive life and appealed to the best side of human nature. Therefore, it stressed the tolerance of difference in religious opinion and the free control of his affairs by each congregation, and called to throw off shackles of custom and tradition, and to go forward to the development of a new and distinctly American culture. As a social force, it contributed to the movement such as the antislavery, education reform, and even helped the establishment of the utopian community.
In the literary aspect, the influence of transcendentalism was great and everlasting. Some literary transcendentalists insisted on "natural form" and established genres such as sermon, essay and a travel excursion. Emerson and Thoreau's works paved the way for American literature and have maintained the position of classics. They emphasized the positive role of nature in man's spiritual world and preached the harmony between nature and man. Inspired by them, many writers applied transcendental ideas in their works. The admiration of nature became the popular themes in many works. Hawthorne, Melville and Whitman are among them. Transcendentalism mainly has influence on the two respects: symbolism and self-reliance.
3 Thoreau’s Transcendental Solitude
Thoreau chose to live by the Walden Pond as transcendental solitude because his transcendental ideas. The author would give a brief introduction of the relationship between Thoreau and his mentor Emerson and discuss the generation of his transcendental solitude.
3.1 The Relationship between Emerson and Thoreau
Emerson, who was fourteen years older than Thoreau, was Thoreau's mentor after he graduated from Harvard in the spring of 1837. Emerson quickly recognized Thoreau's genius and appreciated Thoreau's honesty and sense of humor. Emerson's early influence on Thoreau was clear in Thoreau's view of and affinity for the natural world. In many ways, Thoreau surpassed Emerson in living the "natural" life. Emerson, despite philosophy, was clumsy when it came to manual labor and tending animals.
After five or six years, Emerson initially supportive of Thoreau's work, became increasingly critical of Thoreau's writing and his poetry in particular. It is said that Thoreau burned much of his poetry as a result of Emerson's criticism. Around 1850 something happened that caused a deep rift between the two men. No one seems to know exactly what happened as there are many theories, but what is clear is that Thoreau was no longer "Emerson's man". Though the friendship continued, it was cooler than it had been in the past.