“Thoughts accidentally thrown together become a frame in which more may be developed and exhibited. Perhaps this is the main value of a habit of writing, of keeping a journal-that so we remember our best hours and stimulate ourselves.”
When one begins to think, at first, thoughts come slow. However, after a while, ideas tend to flow with ease and soon just become a natural practice. This is due to the process of attaining innovations off one’s previous ideas and merely just building off them. In addition, the journal can provide and prove to be a very valuable object. It enables one to look back at the previous days and remember the exact thoughts that they were thinking at that moment; it provides insight, for the reader, about the author and allows the reader to really get into their mind and discover the author’s deepest philosophies.


”My desire for society is infinitely increased; my fitness for any actual society is diminished.”
Here, Thoreau somewhat contradicts himself subsequently making a paradox. He states that everyday his yearning for human contact and society increases yet at the same time he states that he is not capable to interact with society anymore. Everyday his desire for society grows, but his ability to interact with society is depleting. In this situation, he placed himself in a very bad spot. On both sides of the scenario he is faced with two hardships, they both cancel out each other in the manner that he wants to be with society yet cant interact with them making himself more socially awkward and liking society less and less consequencely, placing himself back in the same situation.

What i want to get out of this course consists of the following. I want my outlook on the writers of America to improve, generally when I think of good literature I most always think that it was written in Europe or anthe country. In addition, I would like my writing skills to improve so that i may write better essays and what not. On the whole, I think that this course will be very helpful to my education.

2. Comparison. Emerson and Thoreau are the most recognizable proponents of Transcendentalism, but each emphasized different features of the movement. Take some aspect of their thought or writing and explore the similarities and differences their works exhibit. In the process, you should arrive at a clearer understanding of Transcendentalism in general and these two writers in particular. Topics to consider include self-reliance, individualism, and the importance of nature.

Alissa Walker September 18, 2007

Henry David Thoreau quotes from Walden

“Still we live meanly, like ants; though the fable tells us that we were long ago changed into men…”

Thoreau believes that men pay too much attention to detail, that they should slow down their lives and attend to themselves. He believes that an honest man doesn’t need to learn about everything; that all one needs is to be honest and able to count their 10 fingers and toes. As a result, they will be successful in life.

“We do not ride the railroad; it rides upon us.”

Man doesn’t need the railroad if he is self-sufficient. It goes along with what Emerson says about being self-reliant. If we just used the things around us to fulfill our needs, then we wouldn’t need railroads to get the things that we want or do the things that we want to do. The railroad wouldn’t exist, if we didn’t need it.

Alissa Walker September 17, 2007

Quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self Reliance and Nature

“Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. Society is a join-stock company =, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater.” – Self Reliance

Here, Emerson is describing how society is suppressing the liberty and independence of the people. Then, he further goes into dictating that society is the way it is since all members want to eat and lead prosperous lives. Basically, society is willing to surrender its freedom in order for certain members to sustain wealth. Society is greedy and selfish, subsequently all men should focus on their own needs more than the needs of others and the community.

“To be great is to be misunderstood.” – Self Reliance

Being misunderstood isn’t necessarily a bad thing, according to Emerson. According to him, some of the greatest beings were considered misunderstood by society including Pythagoras, Socrates, Jesus, Luther, Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, and ‘Every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh.’ When a person is misunderstood it usually means that their ideas and innovations are just new ways of thinking. The people of society are not always familiar to these thoughts, which can pose as a threat to their current society.

“Few adult persons can see nature. Most persons do not see the sun. At least they have a very superficial seeing. The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and the heart of the child.” - Nature

This quote explains that adults see only specific parts of nature. Where as in a child, they notice all the little details that nature has to offer, and it doesn’t take them much time to notice these things. Think about it, a child is usually the one pointing things out to you rather than you to them. This is because they aren’t focused on other things in their life that may distract them from these beauties and minorities.

“He is my creature, and maugre all his impertinent griefs, he shall be glad with me. Not the sun or the summer alone, but every hour and season yields its tribute of delight; for every hour and change corresponds to and authorizes a different state of the mind, from breathless noon to grimmest midnight. “ -Nature

Nature is always changing. Emerson feels that man should always be happy with nature since change is good. If the weather was to be the same everyday, then man would be bored with nature. Yet, since it is different everyday man should be thankful to change and each weather pattern represents a different state of mind and reflects how nature is feeling, all day, everyday.