美国文学第二讲2013年3月5.pptVIP

I. His Life born in a Unitarian minister’s family in New England in 1803 B. graduated from Harvard in 1821 C. worked as a schoolmaster D. served as a Unitarian pastor in 1829  D. abandoned Unitarianism and toured Europe in 1833 E. Became a lecturer in 1833 F. founded a Transcendentalists Club in 1836 G. The Transcendental group began to publish its flagship journal, The Dial（日晷）, in 1840  II. Major Works Nature 《论自然》1836 The American Scholar 《论美国学者》 1837 Divinity School Address 《神学院演讲》1838 The Oversoul 《论超灵》 1841 Self Reliance 《论自立》 1841 II. Major Works Essays: First Series 《散文一集》1841 Essays: Second Series 《散文二集》 1844 Poems 《诗集》 1846 Representative Men 《代表人物》1850 English Traits 《英国人的特性》1856 III Style of Emerson’s essays casual ; a series of short, declarative sentences; comparisons and metaphors; employing the literary sources from the classics of Western European literature. IV. His philosophy Strongly he felt the need for a new national vision. The universe is composed of Nature and the soul (dualism). He sees the world as phenomenal, and emphasizes the need for idealism, for idealism sees the world in God. He regards nature as the purest, and most sanctifying moral influence on man, and advocated a direct intuition of a spiritual and immanent (inner) God in nature. The individual, not the crowd, is the most important of all. If a man depends on himself, cultivates himself and brings out the divine himself, he can hope to become better and even perfect. V What is Transcendentalism? transcend: 超越，超出…的限度； 优于或胜过…； 高于或独立于（宇宙）而生存 1. to rise above or go beyond; overpass; exceed: to transcend the limits of thought; kindness transcends courtesy. 2. to outdo or exceed in excellence, elevation, extent, degree, etc.; surpass; excel. 3. Theology . (of the Deity) to be above and independent?of (the universe, time, etc.). V What is Transcendentalism? “What is popularly called Transcendentalism among us is idealism”.