Essay
When you hear the word romantism you would probably think about candle light dinners or something romantic. Romantism is actually a form of writing in which you show what you are writing about with words. You do so by looking at things, such as nature in a simple way. The two writers I choose to write about are Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. They were the two best romantic writers of their era (1800-1900). The reason I chose these two, was because they both were great at showing you what they are talking about in their writings and using romantism.
The first writer I chose is Ralph Waldo Emerson. He was born in Boston in 1803; he went to Harvard at the age of 14. He became known after he gave speeches and lectures all over the country. I think Emerson would think that society today is good in some ways, and bad in other ways. One reason he would think that society today is good is because nature is more beautiful is ever. He would also think it was good that we have kept plants and animals healthy, by using new tools and technology. He would think society was bad because of some of the ways of transportation we have. He would think that the way people see and react to others because of different cultures or personal preferences was wrong. Also the amount of trees and other things in nature we use for resources would bother him I think. Also the recent tragedies in New York with terrorism, I think the situation would mind boggle Emerson. Emerson is passionate about society and the things in society. Now we have so many different problems and differences in society, which I think would make Emerson’s beliefs different. I think he would fell different about nature if he lived in a environment like the one we have today in our lifetime.
The second romantic writer I chose was Henry David Thoreau. He was born in 1817, and he also went to Harvard at the young age of 16. He began writing about nature and his beliefs at the age of eight. Thoreau believed in civil disobedience. He liked to place nature above materialism. Thoreau didn’t like technology unless it betters or benefits people. I don’t think he would like the technology that we have today. I think he would like airplanes though. He would think they were a great means for transportation. He might also like computers also, only because it makes it easier to do things that he had never dreamed about doing. Other than the computer and airplanes, I think he would hate most everything else involved in technology. I believe he may think that society needs to look at things in a simpler way, by not just thinking about what it took to make or build something. That is why are society is so biased and opinionated about so many different issues and beliefs. Thoreau thought that civilization was a bourdon, caused by industrial organization and the domination of industry over human interest.
The reason I believe these authors would have total different ideas and beliefs, is because America today is so much different. Thoreau wouldn’t think automobiles were stupid would he? Would Emerson think that nature and trees could be used for resources? These are questions that I can’t answer because they are not living in the era we are. They were live in an era were all we really had in America was nature; there was no technology at that time. The only thing was the railroads that were beginning to be built, but still they didn’t really like railroad. I think that railroads bettered people in many ways. The one think I think they would have said for sure if they say today’s society would be, I cant believe how far this country has grown in the last 150 years.
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