Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau :: essays research papers

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were two natural in Massachusetts. Emerson was born in Boston in 1803. Thoreau was born in Concord in 1817. Emerson attended Harvard and then became a Unitarian minister just like his father had been. Thoreau also attended Harvard but upon graduating, became a teacher and opened up a school. Both Emerson and Thoreau gave up their careers to espouse Transcendentalist philosophy. Emerson was unrivaled of the first to start the Transcendental Club. Thoreau became Emersons student after he had moved into his house. Thoreau simplified his needs and began to experiment with transcendentalism through experience. Although Emersons literary productions achieved national recognition during his lifetime, Thoreau did not see such fame during his own life. They were both active Transcendentalists, but their philosophies and methods differed slightly.      Emerson believed one should live in unity with spirit. sensation of his essays, appropriately titled, "Nature," was the first published essay on Transcendentalist philosophy. Emerson theorized that man was one and the same with nature and he wrote about his experiences with nature. In "Nature," Emerson wrote that, "In the woods, we issuance to reason and faith. "Although he was the one to write this, it was Thoreau who went to extremes and took this literally.      Though Emerson and Thoreau both believed in reenforcement in harmony with something, they differed on what it was they were to live in harmony with. While Emerson lectured about Transcendetalist philosophy, Thoreau thoroughly practiced it. Emerson believed in living in harmony with nature. Thoreau believed in living in peace and harmony with ourselves.     Thoreau took Transcendentalism to the extremes. He simplified every aspect of his live and went" back to nature" to test the experiences of Transcendentalism. He focused on how he could live in peace and harmony with himself in nature while Emerson lectured about living in harmony with nature. Thoreau took Emersons teachings and grow on them.     Emerson played his role as teacher and Thoreau played his role as student. They did this both whle living in the same household and throughout their lives. Emerson taught Transcendentalist philosophy and Thoreau not only expanded on those teachings, he used them for experimenting with Transcednetalism.