Transcendentalists

Photo Essay
by Alexis Meza, Esmeria
Sanchez, Jessica Tejero,
Kamryn Keller
Per.6
Self-Reliance As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, To be great is to be
misunderstood. The Transcendentalist valued nature
and spirit but they also preached the value of
individualism. Emerson is commenting on how many
great men followed their own intuition in spite of
criticism or misunderstanding from society. In
context, Emerson also says that great men are not
always consistent. In fact, "A foolish consistency is the
hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen
and philosophers and divines". But, since many great
men have not be understood by society, then you are
you have great company when people don't
understand you. What is important, according to
Emerson, is that one not violates his or her own
nature. You must be true to yourself, even if it mean
saying one thing one day and saying something else
the next day. That way we show that we trust
To be great is to be ourselves and not others to dictate our beliefs.
misunderstood
 Colors of the Spirit
Emerson has said Nature always
wears the colors of the spirit.
Nature is a quiet, alternate universe
that lives upon the human race. With
its winds blowing through the blue
empty skies and birds riding with the
wind. Nature doesn't have labels or
definition like our own society. Even
in Autumn when the leaves are dirty
and muddy, nature shows its true
color and our society finds that to be
beautiful, but when it comes to our
own society ask yourself this
question. How come you let nature
show its true colors yet you isolate
human beings from showing their
colors because of their hair, skin
color, gender, personality, social
status. It is time to be like nature,
peaceful, graceful, and energetic.
The only way to be one with nature is
to isolate yourself from society,
technology and your entire personality
and transcend beyond your old self to
be one with nature.I believe that
Emerson was trying to say that this
entire time. Nature will always wear
the title of beauty because that's what
wants to be and it is.Everyone here
and in the entire world has the right to
wear the colors of the spirit, no matter
who you are, but this is why we can't
be one with nature because there's
others who purposely want to stop
your spirit from shining through. This
hand shows a person view when their
one with nature. They finally see the
colors of the spirit at its full glory.
Emerson said He cannot be happy and strong until he
too lives with nature in the present, above time. At a
point in life we all have hit rock bottom. No matter what
Nature the Mentor
the situation is, somehow nature decides to act like a
symbol. There was once a boy who was afraid of
overcoming the barriers that were put in front of him he
thought to himself no way i can ever do this, but one
day he was walking home from school depressed, as
usual at that time,until he saw a flock of birds flying in the
sky. He thought to himself I wonder how it feels to fly
above everything. That's when it hit him. Maybe you cant
break down barriers, but maybe you can fly over them and
fly high into infinite space. See how nature made this
young boy feel happier and stronger and more powerful
ever before. A mentor that lives in silent. That young boy
couldnt be strong or happy without the help of nature.
Some may ask Well how do you know that nature helped
the boy? because the boy is standing here as living
breathing proof that Nature is a mentor that works in so
many different wonders. The picture here represents is
rock bottom and everything around is nature doing its
magic into helping another living breathing human. The
person here is in the process of thinking and listening to
 Solitude
Emerson describes true solitude as going out into nature
and leaving behind all preoccupying activities as well as
society. When a man gazes at the stars, he becomes
aware of his own separateness from the material world.
The stars were made to allow him to perceive the
"perpetual presence of the sublime." Visible every night,
they demonstrate that God is ever-present. They never
lose their power to move us. We retain our original
sense of wonder even when viewing familiar aspects of
nature anew. Emerson discusses the poetical approach
to nature the perception of the encompassing whole
made up of many individual components. Our delight in
the landscape, which is made up of many particular
forms, provides an example of this integrated vision.
Brute Neighbors
Thoreau notices a war between two races of ants, red
on one side and black on the other. The ground by his
house is covered with the combatants, and he
compares them to ancient warriors for their
determination and heroism. He puts a couple of them
under a microscope and observes their injuries.
Thoreau is excited and harrowed as if he witnesses a
human battle.Thoreau explains of his thoughts about
animals, who, he says, "are all beasts of burden, in a
sense, made to carry some portion of our thoughts." He
describes the behavior of the wild mice, the robin, the
partridge, a cat he once found by the shore, and the
loons on the pond, who make "perhaps the wildest
sound that is ever heard here." He admires the animals
for living wild and free.
 Nature
Emerson says that Nature never wears a mean appearance.
Neither does the wisest man extort all her secrets, and lose his
curiosity by finding out all her perfection. Nature never
became a toy to a wise spirit. The flowers, the animals, the
mountains, reflected all the wisdom of his best hour, as much
as they had delighted the simplicity of his childhood. Not
letting society get in the way of an individual self is important
for self growth. When anything happens for the better, dont
over think about why because it will destroy the beauty of
everything. Nature and life can be very beautiful when the
negativity of people and material things dont get in the way.
Nature never wears a mean Just like when children see new things, they dont think about
appearance it, they just see it for what it is.
Transcendentalism Most Valued Principles
Transcendentalists believed that society and social institutions like
organized religion and political parties corrupt the purity of
individuals. They see the truth.
the belief that people are at their best when they are self-reliant and
independent.
Principle Transcendentalism

Transcendentalists believed that

one should be grateful for what
they have and who they are.
Being happy about who you are
is something that so beautiful
about life itself.
Valued Principles

Individualism
Being my own authority, making my own decisions,
and not allowing others to influence mw in bad ways.
Principles of Transcendentalism
The value of individualism
Transcendentalists believe individuals
perform at their best when they are
independent and rely only on themselves.