Transcendentalism

In my American Lit class we are currently looking at the work of Emerson, with his ideas of Transcendentalism. It is very hard to describe exactly what transcendentalism is, but I'm going to share a few quotes from Emerson's works and I hope you're able to take your own meaning from them, and that you enjoy them as much as I do. :)

“Man is timid and apologetic; he is no longer upright;

he dares not say ‘I think,’ ‘I am,’ but quotes some saint

or sage. He is ashamed before the blade of grass or the

blowing rose. The roses under my window make no

references to former roses or to better ones; they are for

                what they are; they exist with God to-day” (Emerson)

           "Undoubtedly we have no questions to ask which are 

            unanswerable. We must trust the perfection in the creation 

            so far, as to believe that what ever curiosity the order of 

            things has awakened in our minds, the order of things can 

            satisfy."