Walden

The history of American Literature begins well before this land was even called America. It has been a fantastic evolution to come from tribal symbols and drawings to today's Stephen King and Danielle Steele. Literature has actually gone through lots of phases and was impacted by excellent events and concepts in American history. The earliest kind of literature in what would one day be referred to as America were far from what contemporary individuals would think about "Literature". The Natives…...

The Romantic Era followed the Age of Reason. While the Age of Reason involved emphasis on science and rational thinking, Romanticism was the exact opposite. Romantics valued feeling and intuition over reason. They recognized the worth of the individual, and praised beauty, imagination, and innocence. Some of these writers were Margaret Fuller, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau. Through this paper the writer intends to present the reasons that these three authors are considered Romantic writers. Margaret Fuller demonstrated…...

A discussion of the work "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau and his contribution to the philosophies of Zen.If I were asked who my favourite Western Zen philosopher was, without any hesitation, I would declare it to be Henry David Thoreau. Although he knew in translation the religious writings of the Hindus, it may be unlikely that Henry David Thoreau ever studied the teachings of the Zen Masters. Even then, the insight within his own personal writings would irrefutably make him…...

As humans, we often find ourselves falling into a routine in our everyday lives and don't take into consideration the little aspects of life that truly make our lives the best it can be. Consistency and conforming to the norms of society is what much of what our lives are surrounded by. Being transcendental is what spotlights those who go the extra mile to make a difference in the world and truly have their lives have an impact. To be…...

Looking up at the sky as the birds fly by on a hot sunny day thinking about my plans and what Iplan on doing for the day, watching cars by pass one by one seeing the trees blow and the wind.As I watch and stare at the pond I see little tad poles in the water dosing off in a trans I start towalk and block out every sound of voices and cars and forget about what's around me at…...

Henry David Thoreau is synonymous with Transcendentalism.  His mentor, Ralph Waldo Emerson, was the creator of the movement.  Because he truly believed in the concepts, Thoreau actually practiced it to the letter. Transcendentalism, a free meditation in spirituality and individualistic approach to everything, was something that he gave his life to exploring.  He expounded on these views in Civil Disobedience and through his magnificent Plea for John Brown. Thoreau actually experimented with this idea when he self-imposed an exile on…...

My primary goal in applying to Walden University for Ph.D. program is to prepare myself for a future career in forensic human services administration. Interested in furthering the current body of research and in improving techniques used on the study of the theoretical foundations of organizational behavior and the practice of management and planning. I am very committed to pursuing human services administration and I believe Walden University Ph.D. program will provide me with an excellent foundation in the area…...

In Walden; or, Life in the Woods Henry David Thoreau presents his transcendental beliefs. His experiment of living in the woods and away from society was a way to test out his beliefs. Thoreau believed that by freeing himself from social restrictions, he could eventually gain spiritual relief. Similar to transcendentalism is the hippie’s view of life. They too also believed in a simpler way of living and wished to gain spiritual knowledge of nature and the world as a…...

Dead Poet’s Society was filmed through the eyes of transcendentalism using Emerson’s philosophy, as seen in Nature and “Self-Reliance;” and Thoreau’s philosophy, as seen in Walden. The film deals with a group of young men who attend a very strict boarding school and the English teacher who gives them a new perspective on everything. The damaging effects of conformity, beautiful sense of nature, and emphasis of simplicity and individuality are shown in many elements throughout Dead Poet’s Society and are…...

Both Emerson and Thoreau use the images of eyes, vision, and perception to properly demonstrate their transcendentalist beliefs. Transcendentalism is defined as the “idea that our spirits have a deep connection with nature and our ideas transcend to the natural world. ” By using the “transparent eyeball” and other uses of perception of the whole in nature in their works, both authors establish a strong belief of perception through transcendentalism within the natural world. Their works have many parallels between…...

Transcendentalism, as defined by Dictionary. com, is "any philosophy based upon the doctrine that the principles of reality are to be discovered by the study of the processes of thought, or a philosophy emphasizing the intuitive and spiritual above the empirical? " (Transcendentalism). This new philosophy created a rebellion and turn away from the traditional religions in the United States. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau are two primary authors and promoters of Transcendentalism. In this paper I will…...

Henry Thoreau’s masterpiece, Walden or a Life in the Woods, shows the impact transcendentalism had on Thoreau’s worldview. Transcendentalism is a philosophy that asserts the primacy of the spiritual over the material. Transcendentalism puts the emphasis on spiritual growth and understanding as opposed to worldly pleasures. Thoreau’s idea of transcendentalism stressed the importance of nature and being close to nature. He believed that nature was a metaphor for spiritual enlightenment. A walk in the woods therefore was a search for…...

In the mid-1830s, Ralph Waldo Emerson produced a belief called Transcendentalism. He wrote the essay, "Self Reliance" and Henry David Thoreau, another Transcendentalist composed an essay called, "Walden." Both works of literature concentrate on the Transcendentalism belief. In "The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hawthorne reveals both Transcendentalism and Anti-Transcendentalism through the attitudes of the characters. For that reason, "The Minister's Black Veil" can be compared and contrasted with both "Self Reliance" and "Walden." During the 1830s and 1840s,…...

"Simplify! was Thoreau's motto" in his life (Stanley 20). He showed people how to live simple life by living a simple life in Walden. Due to Thoreau's efforts and works on nature people considers a nature an important part in their lives, as a result nature became one of the top topics in 21st century. Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817, in Concord, Massachusetts (Meltzer 11). His parents were John Thoreau and Cynthia Dunbar Thoreau (12). Henry…...

The more technologically savvy our society becomes and as our cities become larger and more urbanized our connection with nature gets weaker and weaker. It is difficult to remember the natural beauty of a 100 year old oak tree while you dwell in the city where you are lucky to see a tree every three blocks. Our attitudes (especially people who live in very urbanized areas) tend to think that civilization surrounds nature instead of “wilderness [as] the element in…...

Plagiarism is considered stealing another person’s writing and making it one’s own. In the following, a student has plagiarized an original source from another author. Two sentences will be depicted from this passage and cited accurately using APA standard format. Recognizing and avoiding plagiarism is possible in own writing and will be discussed. The goal of writing is to use own words explaining one’s thoughts and ideas regarding prior reading. This will lead to writing success. Plagiarism and a Students…...

Being an Emergency Room nurse for 7 years and working as a traveling nurse in many different parts of the country has impacted my future and decision of going back to school. My personal career goal is to become a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) with specialization in pediatric critical care area, mainly pediatric emergency medicine. I have known since a very young age that I had a gift for working with children. My colleagues always call me the “pediatric nurse”.…...

Henry David Thoreau, a French descendant, was born in 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts; a graduate of Harvard College with no literary distinction. Throughout his life he executed a very strong Saxon genius, as his ancestors had been known. As an ordinary young man, he began to work for a living. After his graduation, he joined his brother in teaching in a private school, which he stayed for a while. He later left to enter into manufacturing work – making a…...

This excerpt is from his well-known essay, "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience". First, some background; in 1842, his sibling John died of tetanus. Three years later on, Henry decided to write a book commemorating a canoe trip he had actually taken with John in 1839. Seeking a quiet place to write, he followed a good friend's recommendation and developed a small cabin on the north coast of Walden Pond on a piece of land owned by his pal and…...

The 1989 film Dead Poets Society revisits transcendentalism. In it, several boys attending a staunch private academy are deeply affected by their new English teacher Mr. Keating, or “O Capitan, My Capitan” as he dares them to call him. He wants them to, “carpe diem” or seize the day. Some of the boys begin meeting in a cave just off school grounds to, not only read poetry, but to “suck the marrow out of life.” Each secret meeting of the…...

My Vision for Social Change My goal in life is to grow and develop an understanding of the mysteries of human behavior, with the vision of learning new and more effective ways to assist others experience their full potentials. With this in mind, and further influenced by my career choices as a war veteran, a preacher, and a mental health counselor, I have come to the understanding that life is never in what you take. Rather, life is in what…...

Many of Henry D. Thoreau’s ideas are clearly seen in his piece of writing ‘Where I Lived and What I Lived For’. Through his work, not only do we learn about his experience in the woods at Walden Pond, but also about his values and the way he sees life, which he shares with his readers all throughout the chapter. In my opinion, of the most significant topics this chapter deals with is ‘the beauty of nature’. As said by…...

Before this course, I had no clue how I was going to manage learning in college. All I knew, I wanted to go. I wanted to improve myself no matter how naive I was. Presently, it is the end of the class. But it is only the beginning for me at Walden University, and because of this course, I now know what to expect and what to do to be a successful Walden student ( State tax liens - myFICO®…...

In Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, or, Life in the Woods, the concept of simplicity was a striking key factor. Thoreau clearly states in his first story “Economy”, “Moreover, I, on my side, require of every writer, first or last, a simple and sincere account of his own life…” (1). Simplicity comes from within and to realize the morale at such a young stage in life is a gift that many can cherish forever. Simple is best, how often do we…...

Degree program: Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Trauma and Crisis Counseling Personal/Professional Goals My professional goal is to obtain Walden’s Master’s degree in mental health counseling with a specialization in trauma and crisis and become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). I would especially like to work with soldiers who have been affected by frequent deployments and their families to help them overcome their personal and social problems that have, without a doubt, strong negative…...