3 - Tradição da simbologia dos renascentistas

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Introduction 
 
 
This class will give you an opportunity to have an overview of the American movement 
entitled “The Transcendentalism”, centered in New England during the 19th 
century.This movement was a reaction against scientific rationalism. 
 
Besides, you will get to know more about the core philosophy of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s 
work. Ralph was definitely an important writer of this movement who contributed quite 
a lot to break away from European models. 
 
You will also be introduced to how “The Transcendentalism” philosophy emerged as 
well as its beliefs with emphasis on individual and democratic ideas. Among the 
American authors, you will have an overview of Walt Whitman e Emily Dickinson’s 
poetry and discover why these writers played such an important role in “The 
Transcendentalism” movement. 
 
 
 
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s work 
 
 
Emerson is considered to be the chief spokesman for Transcendentalism, the American 
philosophic and literary movement. In fact, his philosophy is characterized by its 
reliance on intuition as the only way to comprehend reality. He is a great believer of the 
“divine sufficiency of the individual" making the writer a steady optimist. 
 
As a philosopher, preacher, and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson embodied the finest spirit 
and highest ideals of his age since he was a thinker of bold originality. His essays and 
lectures are examples of style and clarity, which made him an icon of the 19th century 
American life. 
 
 
 
 
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Emerson definitely based his work on the mystical harmonies of man and nature, the 
perfection of the human spirit. In other words, the unity of the human soul with the 
divine Over-Soul within the values of non-conformity, spiritual and intellectual 
independence, self-assurance, and utopian friendship. Besides, he was a great 
supporter of educational reform, a tireless fighter for peace and social justice. 
 
 
 
 
The poetry of Walt Whitman 
 
Walt Whitman was an American poet, a journalist, and an essayist. As a humanist, he 
took part in the transition between transcendentalism and realism. 
 
That means that his work was highly influenced by both movements. 
 
Whitman was called “the father of free verse” and was definitely one of the most 
influential poets in America since his work was very controversial, mainly his poetry 
collection Leaves of Grass. 
 
The writer was very concerned with politics and his poetry reflected an egalitarian view 
of the races. Whitman's work breaks the boundaries of poetic form also for the use 
images and symbols in his poetry. He believed there was a symbiotic relationship 
between the poet and society. 
 
In order to have a sample of Whitman’ poetry, you can read and listen to “O captain!, 
my captain!” a poem written in 1865. The captain in the poem refers to Abraham 
Lincoln who is the captain of the ship, representing the United States of America. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done; 
The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won; 
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, 
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring: 
But O heart! heart! heart! 
O the bleeding drops of red, 
Where on the deck my Captain lies, 
Fallen cold and dead. 
 
O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; 
Rise up--for you the flag is flung--for you the bugle trills; 10 
For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths--for you the shores a-crowding; 
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; 
Here Captain! dear father! 
This arm beneath your head; 
It is some dream that on the deck, 
You've fallen cold and dead. 
 
 
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still; 
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will; 
The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done; 
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won; 20 
Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells! 
But I, with mournful tread, 
Walk the deck my Captain lies, 
Fallen cold and dead. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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The poetry of Emily Dickinson 
 
Among the ranks of other such acclaimed poets as Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson is 
considered one of the most original 19th century American poets. Dickinson’s poetry 
was heavily influenced by the Metaphysical poets of seventeenth-century England and 
extremely prolific. She was noted for being unconventional metaphorical style. 
 
Emily was a deeply sensitive woman who questioned the puritanical background of her 
time. Also, she often used to enclose poems in letters to friends. Surprisingly, her work 
was not publicly recognized during her lifetime. 
 
Emily Dickinson is now considered a powerful and persistent figure in American culture 
who was extremely insightful in relation to the human nature. She has become widely 
acknowledged as an innovative, pre-modernist poet. 
 
To get to know more about Emily’s style, you will have two examples of Dickinson’s 
work: a letter and a poem. 
 
Here you can one of her letters which appeared in 1958: 
 
 
This is my letter to the world 
 
This is my letter to the world, 
That never wrote to me, 
The simple news that Nature told, 
With tender majesty. 
Her message is committed 
To hands I cannot see; 
 
 
 
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For love of her, sweet countrymen, 
Judge tenderly of me! 
 
 
And below you have a poem entitled Nature: 
 
"Nature" is what we see— 
The Hill—the Afternoon— 
Squirrel—Eclipse— the Bumble bee— 
Nay—Nature is Heaven— 
Nature is what we hear— 
The Bobolink—the Sea— 
Thunder—the Cricket— 
Nay—Nature is Harmony— 
Nature is what we know— 
Yet have no art to say— 
So impotent Our Wisdom is 
To her Simplicity.