Thoreau Vs. Emerson

Thoreau Vs. Emerson
Transcendentalism is a newly founded belief and practice that involves man’s interaction with nature, and the idea that man belongs to a universal spirit known as the oversoul. This idea inspired new ways of thinking among many individuals. Two leaders of this era were Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. These two, whom were good friends and roommates during college, shared many common ideas. The two authors, over time, developed nearly identical ideas of transcendentalism and very similar styles of writing. While both writers include ideas of nature, conformity, individualism, and the pressures of society, they also share many differences in their ways of developing and expressing their feelings.
During Thoreau and Emerson’s exploration of their new ideas, they both developed many of the same ideas. They shared an objection to conformity and both strongly supported individualism. If somebody has something to say, they should say what...