Tn American Literature, Romanticism came during the New England Literary movement called Transcendentalism. “Transcendentalism is a belief in spiritual truth beyond sense perception and material success.” It is said to be a theory that highlights the transcendent as the realistic reality. In other words, this is a philosophy asserting the superiority of the spiritual and transcendental over the material and experimental. “During the 1 9th century, Transcendentalism was a react ion ag~inst scientific rationalism.” Transcendentalists were against material success and discarded any control except that of the individual conscience. There are many qualities associ~’i1cd with Romanticism/American Transcendentalism; such as emotional appeal, suhiective viewpoint and a love for external nature. Other beliefs included private and subjective experiences the p()~er ol human emotions and creativity, and nature as a stimulus transtorming the individual a~ay Irom sclence/systems/reasoning. The three poems ~The Slave’s Dream” by flenry Wads~orill I ~)ngteII()~ ~The Rhodora” by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and “Alone” by Ldgar Allan l~oe will he analv/ed in relation to the power of human emotions and creativity.
I lenry Wadsworth I,ongf’ellow was born on lebruary 27, 1 807. in Port land, Nia Inc I Ic ~as the most popular of the “Fireside Poets.” Lie was “educated at Port l~ind Acadcm, ~iii~I II&)Il~~i(IC athaniel hawthorne at I3owdoin College and then at flarvard niversit~.” Aist), he ~I5 the ()nl American to be given the honor of being placed in Poets’ (‘orier in cstmin~tcr ibl’c ;illcr Iii~ death. I ongfelk)~ ~Tote the poem ‘~’he Slave’s Dream” which sh()~s man~ of the tran~LcI1dcI)Ialist belici;. ouc ol-those beliel;. v~as the power ofhuman emotions. Ihi~ poem ~le~cribc” ~I Ii~II~I- ~)rkII1~ sIa~e ~ith a bare chest in the rice l’iclds. The bare chest s~h(ilizcs not only his beIng ~t ~lIe h~~t ~Ils() him ~iting to be beaten.
The Essay on Song of Myself: The First and Final Editions of the Great American Poem
American literature has a rich history with renowned writers making their contributions to it over the years. Poetry is one of the most used forms of literature in America to put across several messages for the Americans and the world at large. Walt Whitman is one of the celebrated poets who made a considerable contribution in the American literature through his unique approach to issues. Being a ...
~~hippcd. and tormented O er and O er again by his ei1e~i1y – the ~ l~itc i~i~in. flere. I &)ngtL’ll()~ is trying to illustrate ho~ the hite man asserts ~iIs p()cr *t the ci’d ~)I~ l()I~g day. his emot Ions ()l~joy take o~er as he dreams 0 I his I~miI back iii his n~it C l~ind ~) Iiie~i.