1、美國文學史及作品選讀,Unit3HighRomanticism:Transcendentalism,RalphWaldoEmersonandHenryDavidThoreau,HighRomanticism:Transcendentalism,ItwasinthehandsoftheTranscendentaliststhatAmericanliteraturereallymaturedandAmericanRomanticismreacheditssummit.Itisreligious,philosophical,andliterary.,In1836,alittlebookcameout

2、whichmadeatremendousimpactontheintellectuallifeofAmerica.ItwasentitledNaturebyRalphWaldoEmerson.NaturesvoicepushedAmericanRomanticismintoanewphase,thephaseofNewEnglandTranscendentalism,thesummitofAmericanRomanticism.“TheUniverseiscomposedofNatureandtheSoul.Spiritispresenteverywhere.”,TranscendentalC

3、lub,Theclubwasaninformalgroup,whosemembersoftenmetatEmersonsConcordhometodiscusssuchtopicsasphilosophy,morality,literature,andpolitics,concerningthemselveswithreformmovementsandsocialrevolt.TheDial(1840-1844),theirjournalTheclubwasmadeupofsomethirtymembers,includingEmerson,Thoreau,BronsonAlcott,andM

4、argaretFuller.,Majorfeatures,“WhatispopularlycalledTranscendentalismamongusisidealism.”(Emerson)First,theTranscendentalistsplacedemphasisonspirit,ortheOversoul，asthemostimportantthingintheuniverse.TheOversoulwasanall-pervadingpowerforgoodness,omnipresentandomnipotent,fromwhichallthingscameandofwhich

5、allwereapart.Itexistedinnatureandmanalikeandconstitutedthechiefelementoftheuniverse.,Majorfeatures,Secondly,theTranscendentalistsstressedtheimportanceoftheindividual.Theyweretellingpeopletodependuponthemselvesforspiritualperfection.Theregenerationoftheindividual,hisperfection,hisself-culture,andself

6、-improvement;theidealtypeofmanwasaself-reliantindividual,Majorfeatures,Thirdly,theTranscendentalistsofferedafreshperceptionofnatureassymbolicoftheSpiritorGod.Naturewas,tothem,notpurelymatter.Itwasalive,filledwithGodsoverwhelmingpresence.ItwasthegarmentoftheOversoul.Thereforeitcouldexerciseahealthyan

7、drestorativeinfluenceonthehumanmind.“Gobacktonature,sinkyourselfbackintoitsinfluenceandyoullbecomespirituallywholeagain.”,Transcendentalism:Threesources:Neo-Platonism(influentialfromtheMiddleAgestoRomanticism,over1,000years);KantianIdealism(Onlyideaisrealandeternal;thematerialworldisonlyashadow);Ori

8、entalMysticism(baseduponeasternreligionsandphilosophy,esp.Indianones.),RalphWaldoEmerson(1803-1882),TheleaderofTranscendentalismatthecentreofAmericanRenaissance,bornMay25,1803;bynaturearebel,againstanykindofrestraints;advocateintellectualfreedom;kind,mildtemper,livedapeacefullife;independentinthinki

9、ng,liberalinreligion(hisancestors:father:thefirstministeroftheUnitarianChurchinBoston);oneofhisancestorssetupConcord;greatlyinfluencedby,WilliamWordsworth,ColeridgeandCarlyle,passionateloverofnature.,Nature,Nature(1836):theBibleofNewEnglandTranscendentalismEmersonsfirstpublishedwork,whichcontainsthe

10、gistofhistranscendentalattitudetowardsthephenomenalworld,asakindofbeautifulsymboloftheinnerspirituallife.Assoonasitwaspublished,itmetwithawildreception.ThisworkhasthecleareststatementofTranscendentalistideas.Natureisthesymbol/embodimentofSoul.,AmericanRomanticism:Transcendentalism,InNature,Emersonst

11、atedthatmanshouldnotseenaturemerelyassomethingtobeused;thatmansrelationshipwithnaturetranscendstheideaofusefulness.Onceyouareinnature,totallyinsolitude,youfeelyourenothing,butyouseeall.Naturemakespeoplefeeltransparentandhumble.,Standingonthebareground,myheadbathedbytheblitheairandliftedintoinfinites

12、pace,allmeanegotismvanishes.Ibecomeatransparenteyeball;Iamnothing;Iseeall;thecurrentsoftheUniversalBeingcirculatethroughme;IampartorparticleofGod.-NatureOversoul;UniversalBeing;One;GodThesoulhascompletelytranscendedthelimitsofindividualityandbecomepartoftheOversoul,“TheAmericanScholar”,“TheAmericanS

13、cholar,”alectureEmersongavein1837atHarvard,wasconsideredtobe“AmericasDeclarationofIntellectualIndependence”;callsontostopimitatingEuropeanesp.EnglishwritersandtowriteaboutAmerica,towriteaboutAmericaintheAmericanway.TheAmericansshouldwriteabouthereandnowinsteadofimitatingandimportingfromotherlands.,“

14、ThesunshinestodayalsoTherearenewlands,newmen,newthoughts.Letusdemandourownworksandlawsandworship.Ourlongapprenticeshiptothelearningofotherlandsdrawstoaclose.Themillionsthataroundusarerushingintolifecannotalwaysbefedonthesereremainsofforeignharvests.”,“DivinitySchoolAddress”,In“DivinitySchoolAddress,

15、”hecelebratedtheAmericanstressontheauthentic,uniqueself,butequallycriticizedAmericansocietyformakingitsodifficulttobecomesuchaself.Hestressestheinnerspiritofcreativity,thatonediscernsnotthroughrationalityorevencommonsense,butthroughintuition,spontaneity,akindofradical,primaryinsight.Eachpersonisdivi

16、ne,butalsoparticipatesinakindofuniversaldivinity.,Essays(FirstSeries,1841;SecondSeries,1844):“Self-Reliance”,“TheOver-Soul”and“ThePoet”“Self-Reliance”:thedeclarationofindependenceofself;callsontorebelagainstanyauthority;inordertobearealman,onemustdisobey.“trustthyself”;“tobegreatistobemisunderstood.

17、”Kindofconfidence,nationalspiritinhim,prosperousnation,fullofconfidence.RepresentativeMen(1850),Emersonwasapoetaswell.Emersonevensaidthathewasmostlyapoet,buthispoemsareoflessliteraryvalue.Helaiddownprinciplesofpoetry,butitisWhitmanwhoputtheseprinciplesintoactualpoeticcreation.Emersonsinfluenceisnotl

18、imitedtohisownage.RobertFrost,Dreiser,WallaceStevens,RalphEllison,theBeatGeneration(AllenGinsberg),WilliamCarlosWilliams,Summary,童明，8990：Emersonistodayregardedasthe“Father”ofAmericanliterature.Thisisprimarilybecausehecreatively-unconventionally-definedsomebasicparametersoftheAmericanindividualandbec

19、ausehissocialandliteraryliaisonshelpeddecisivelytheformationofAmericancultureandletters.IrvingHowedescribedhimasthedominantspiritoftheage,theproponentof“theAmericannewness.”F.O.Matthiessen,inhiswell-knowncriticalstudyofthisperiodcalledAmericanRenaissance,aptlycharacterizesEmersonastheinitialforce“on

20、whichThoreaubuilt,towhichWhitmangaveextension,andtowhichHawthorneandMelvillewereindebtedbybeingforcedtoreactagainstitsphilosophicalassumptions.”,AmericanRomanticism:Transcendentalism,EmersoniscertainlythemostquotableAmericanwriter.“Whosowouldbeaman,mustbeanonconformist.Nothingisatlastsacredbuttheint

21、egrityofyourownmind.Itiseasyintheworldtoliveaftertheworldsopinion;itiseasyinsolitudetoliveafteryourown,butthegreatmanishewhointhemidstofacrowdkeepswithperfectsweetnesstheindependenceofsolitude.”“MeekyoungmengrowupinlibrariesbelievingittheirdutytoaccepttheviewswhichCicero,whichLocke,whichBaconhavegiv

22、en,forgetfulthatCicero,LockeandBaconwereyoungmeninlibrarieswhentheywrotethosebooks.”,HenryDavidThoreau(1817-1862),BorninConcord;“EmersondefinedandexpoundedthespecialkindofidealismthatNewEnglandrocksandwindshadbred;ThoreauliveditfirstandthenrecordedhisexperienceinhisJournal”(Spiller46).“Thoreaupracti

23、cedtheself-reflectiveandself-reliantTranscendentalismthatEmersonpreached”(童明).,AmericanRomanticism:Transcendentalism,1837graduatedfromHarvardattheageof20;setupaConcordacademywithhisbrotherJohn;progressivewayofteaching,pragmaticeducation;practicebeforereading;laterdevelopedintoPragmatismbyJohnDewey;b

24、uthisacademydidntlastlong.HebecameahandymaninEmersonshome.Moreindividualisticthananybodyelse.,AmericanRomanticism:Transcendentalism,1845builtasmallcabinnearWaldenPondonEmersonsproperty;stayedthereforabouttwoyearsandtwomonths.DeliberatelymovedintothecabinonJuly4tosymbolizehisseekingforspiritualindepe

25、ndence;recordedinhisJournalwhathethoughtandfelt.Herefusedtopaypolltax(2dollars)andwasputintoprison.Hedidntwantslaverytospread.Hewasagainstslaveryallhislife.,AmericanRomanticism:Transcendentalism,“ResistancetoCivilGovernment”:theindividualhasrightstoresistthegovernmentifitbreakshigherlaw(morallaw);oneshouldlistentohisconscienceinsteadofthegovernment;resistanceshouldbenon-violent;“Ci