6.4: Channel Your Inner Transcendentalist Apply the principles of the post-American transcendental literary movement by writing a transcendental poem. The American transcendentalism movement was an integral literary movement, because it came at a time in American history when it overlapped other literary movements as well. Because of this, the transcendentalists inspired other writers and poets. One writer who was inspired by the transcendentalist movement was Walt Whitman. When Whitman published his first notable collection, Leaves of Grass (which he published at his own expense), critics were unimpressed, calling the twelve long poems too mystical and earthy. In fact, one of his few champions was the nations most distinguished poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Walt Whitman was a great example of a poet coming from the post-American transcendental movement, because he took the principles of transcendentalism that originated from Emerson and his group and integrated them into his own style of poetry. Whitman is considered a reformer, like many of the transcendentalists, because he continued writing his poetry regardless of what critics said. By doing so, he helped the literary world accept not only transcendentalism, but also romanticism, the next literary movement, and later, a literary movement called American realism, or modernism. Read the following poem from Walt Whitmans Leaves of Grass collection. It is a terrific poem written about a child as a symbol of the human conscience. There was a Child went Forth1 Walt Whitman (1855) THERE was a child went forth every day; And the first object he lookd upon, that object he became; And that object became part of him for the day, or a certain part of the day, or for many years, or stretching cycles of years. The early lilacs became part of this child, And grass, and white and red morning-glories, and white and red clover, and the song of the phoebe-bird, And the Thirdmonth lambs, and the sows pink-faint litter, and the mares foal, and the cows calf, And the noisy brood of the barn-yard, or by the mire of the pond-side, And the fish suspending themselves so curiously below thereand the beautiful curious liquid, And the water-plants with their graceful flat headsall became part of him. The field-sprouts of Fourthmonth and Fifthmonth became part of him; Winter-grain sprouts, and those of the light-yellow corn, and the esculent roots of the garden, And the apple-trees coverd with blossoms, and the fruit afterward, and wood-berries, and the commonest weeds by the road; And the old drunkard staggering home from the out-house of the tavern, whence he had lately risen, And the school-mistress that passd on her way to the school, And the friendly boys that passdand the quarrelsome boys, And the tidy and fresh-cheekd girlsand the barefoot negro boy and girl, And all the changes of city and country, wherever he went. His own parents, He that had fatherd him, and she that had conceivd him in her womb, and birthd him, They gave this child more of themselves than that; They gave him afterward every daythey became part of him. The mother at home, quietly placing the dishes on the suppertable; The mother with mild wordsclean her cap and gown, a wholesome odor falling off her person and clothes as she walks by; The father, strong, self-sufficient, manly, mean, angerd, unjust; The blow, the quick loud word, the tight bargain, the crafty lure, The family usages, the language, the company, the furniturethe yearning and swelling heart, Affection that will not be gainsaydthe sense of what is realthe thought if, after all, it should prove unreal, The doubts of day-time and the doubts of night-timethe curious whether and how, Whether that which appears so is so, or is it all flashes and specks? Men and women crowding fast in the streetsif they are not flashes and specks, what are they? The streets themselves, and the faades of houses, and goods in the windows, Vehicles, teams, the heavyplankd wharvesthe huge crossing at the ferries, The village on the highland, seen from afar at sunsetthe river between, Shadows, aureola and mist, the light falling on roofs and gables of white or brown, three miles off, The schooner near by, sleepily dropping down the tidethe little boat slack-towd astern, The hurrying tumbling waves, quick-broken crests, slapping, The strata of colord clouds, the long bar of maroon-tint, away solitary by itselfthe spread of purity it lies motionless in, The horizons edge, the flying sea-crow, the fragrance of salt marsh and shore mud; These became part of that child who went forth every day, and who now goes, and will always go forth every day. Portfolio Assignment 6.4: Write a Transcendental Poem It is now your turn to write your own transcendental poem modeled after Walt Whitmans There Was a Child Went Forth. This is your chance to explore and exercise your own transcendental thinking. To make writing this poem easier on you, it will be divided up into sections, much like Whitmans, and have a required number of lines in each section or stanza. Look back on the poem and notice how the poem discusses how the child is made up of the following: objects locations and the people the child encounters at those locations the family and home the community This is how you will structure your poem as well. Please dont feel compelled to rhymenothing ruins a great poem more than a forced rhyme! Your poem should begin exactly like Whitmans, replacing the pronouns for the appropriate gender, of course. Stanza 1: Lines 14 There was a child went forth every day; And the first object he lookd upon, that object he became; And that object became part of him for the day, or a certain part of the day, or for many years, or stretching cycles of years. Stanza 2: Lines 510 Next, there should be a stanza with at least five lines about the objects in your life that have helped shape you into the delightful human being you are. These objects could include items such as a special picture that has been in your hallway your whole life, a necklace, or a family pet. Stanza 3: Lines 1115 The next stanza is about the locations you are familiar with in your life and the people you have encountered in those locations. Again, five lines are required in this stanza. These locations could include places such as the neighborhood park, a church, a synagogue, a mosque, or a school. Any location is fineuse your imagination. Stanza 4: Lines 1620 The next stanza is about your family and home. Again, five lines are required in this stanza. These lines could be about your individual family members, a specific member of your family who has been extraordinarily important to you, the home you have grown up in, or the environment that has shaped you that involves your home or family. Stanza 5: Lines 2125 The next stanza is about your community. Think about the community you are living in either now, or in the early years of your life, or both. What is it like? Sometimes, for better or worse, our community will shape us. Describe the community around you. You must write at least five lines. Stanza 6: Lines 2628 You will conclude your poem with Whitmans last lines: These became part of that child who went forth every day, and who now goes, and will always go forth every day. Go through the above list, keeping in mind that Whitmans poem is your model and that you need five lines in each stanza. Some lines might be short, while others might be long. Always refer to Whitmans poem to help and inspire you, just as he was inspired by his contemporaries. Remember, five lines for your stanzas is the minimum, but you are welcome to write more. Be descriptive and creative! This assignment should be typed, and will be turned in with portfolio 2.

6.4: Channel Your Inner Transcendentalist Apply the principles of the post-American transcendental literary movement by writing a transcendental poem. The American transcendentalism movement was an integral literary movement, because it came at a time in American history when it overlapped other literary movements as well. Because of this, the transcendentalists inspired other writers and poets. One writer who was inspired by the transcendentalist movement was Walt Whitman. When Whitman published his first notable collection, Leaves of Grass (which he published at his own expense), critics were unimpressed, calling the twelve long poems too mystical and earthy. In fact, one of his few champions was the nations most distinguished poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Walt Whitman was a great example of a poet coming from the post-American transcendental movement, because he took the principles of transcendentalism that originated from Emerson and his group and integrated them into his own style of poetry. Whitman is considered a reformer, like many of the transcendentalists, because he continued writing his poetry regardless of what critics said. By doing so, he helped the literary world accept not only transcendentalism, but also romanticism, the next literary movement, and later, a literary movement called American realism, or modernism. Read the following poem from Walt Whitmans Leaves of Grass collection. It is a terrific poem written about a child as a symbol of the human conscience. There was a Child went Forth1 Walt Whitman (1855) THERE was a child went forth every day; And the first object he lookd upon, that object he became; And that object became part of him for the day, or a certain part of the day, or for many years, or stretching cycles of years. The early lilacs became part of this child, And grass, and white and red morning-glories, and white and red clover, and the song of the phoebe-bird, And the Thirdmonth lambs, and the sows pink-faint litter, and the mares foal, and the cows calf, And the noisy brood of the barn-yard, or by the mire of the pond-side, And the fish suspending themselves so curiously below thereand the beautiful curious liquid, And the water-plants with their graceful flat headsall became part of him. The field-sprouts of Fourthmonth and Fifthmonth became part of him; Winter-grain sprouts, and those of the light-yellow corn, and the esculent roots of the garden, And the apple-trees coverd with blossoms, and the fruit afterward, and wood-berries, and the commonest weeds by the road; And the old drunkard staggering home from the out-house of the tavern, whence he had lately risen, And the school-mistress that passd on her way to the school, And the friendly boys that passdand the quarrelsome boys, And the tidy and fresh-cheekd girlsand the barefoot negro boy and girl, And all the changes of city and country, wherever he went. His own parents, He that had fatherd him, and she that had conceivd him in her womb, and birthd him, They gave this child more of themselves than that; They gave him afterward every daythey became part of him. The mother at home, quietly placing the dishes on the suppertable; The mother with mild wordsclean her cap and gown, a wholesome odor falling off her person and clothes as she walks by; The father, strong, self-sufficient, manly, mean, angerd, unjust; The blow, the quick loud word, the tight bargain, the crafty lure, The family usages, the language, the company, the furniturethe yearning and swelling heart, Affection that will not be gainsaydthe sense of what is realthe thought if, after all, it should prove unreal, The doubts of day-time and the doubts of night-timethe curious whether and how, Whether that which appears so is so, or is it all flashes and specks? Men and women crowding fast in the streetsif they are not flashes and specks, what are they? The streets themselves, and the faades of houses, and goods in the windows, Vehicles, teams, the heavyplankd wharvesthe huge crossing at the ferries, The village on the highland, seen from afar at sunsetthe river between, Shadows, aureola and mist, the light falling on roofs and gables of white or brown, three miles off, The schooner near by, sleepily dropping down the tidethe little boat slack-towd astern, The hurrying tumbling waves, quick-broken crests, slapping, The strata of colord clouds, the long bar of maroon-tint, away solitary by itselfthe spread of purity it lies motionless in, The horizons edge, the flying sea-crow, the fragrance of salt marsh and shore mud; These became part of that child who went forth every day, and who now goes, and will always go forth every day. Portfolio Assignment 6.4: Write a Transcendental Poem It is now your turn to write your own transcendental poem modeled after Walt Whitmans There Was a Child Went Forth. This is your chance to explore and exercise your own transcendental thinking. To make writing this poem easier on you, it will be divided up into sections, much like Whitmans, and have a required number of lines in each section or stanza. Look back on the poem and notice how the poem discusses how the child is made up of the following: objects locations and the people the child encounters at those locations the family and home the community This is how you will structure your poem as well. Please dont feel compelled to rhymenothing ruins a great poem more than a forced rhyme! Your poem should begin exactly like Whitmans, replacing the pronouns for the appropriate gender, of course. Stanza 1: Lines 14 There was a child went forth every day; And the first object he lookd upon, that object he became; And that object became part of him for the day, or a certain part of the day, or for many years, or stretching cycles of years. Stanza 2: Lines 510 Next, there should be a stanza with at least five lines about the objects in your life that have helped shape you into the delightful human being you are. These objects could include items such as a special picture that has been in your hallway your whole life, a necklace, or a family pet. Stanza 3: Lines 1115 The next stanza is about the locations you are familiar with in your life and the people you have encountered in those locations. Again, five lines are required in this stanza. These locations could include places such as the neighborhood park, a church, a synagogue, a mosque, or a school. Any location is fineuse your imagination. Stanza 4: Lines 1620 The next stanza is about your family and home. Again, five lines are required in this stanza. These lines could be about your individual family members, a specific member of your family who has been extraordinarily important to you, the home you have grown up in, or the environment that has shaped you that involves your home or family. Stanza 5: Lines 2125 The next stanza is about your community. Think about the community you are living in either now, or in the early years of your life, or both. What is it like? Sometimes, for better or worse, our community will shape us. Describe the community around you. You must write at least five lines. Stanza 6: Lines 2628 You will conclude your poem with Whitmans last lines: These became part of that child who went forth every day, and who now goes, and will always go forth every day. Go through the above list, keeping in mind that Whitmans poem is your model and that you need five lines in each stanza. Some lines might be short, while others might be long. Always refer to Whitmans poem to help and inspire you, just as he was inspired by his contemporaries. Remember, five lines for your stanzas is the minimum, but you are welcome to write more. Be descriptive and creative! This assignment should be typed, and will be turned in with portfolio 2.