Transcendentalism in Literature Transcendentalism is a nineteenth century movement in the Romantic tradition, which held that every individual can reach ultimate truths through spiritual intuition, which transcends reason and sensory experiences. Ralph Waldo Emerson, a famous transcendentalist, said in a speech, Self-Reliance, “To be great is to be misunderstood…”(Emerson 225). This is a great way to describe transcendentalism. Two pieces of literature, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, a play, and Dead Poets Society, a …showed first 75 words of 558 total…

…showed last 75 words of 558 total…many characteristics of transcendentalism. Transcendentalism is in every aspect of life whether in school, literature, or even in your own home. People standup for what they believe and should not be judged by others. Henry David Thoreau once said, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured, or far away”(Lawrence and Lee 1).