Whitman and Emerson were well-known Transcendentalist authors that strongly implemented their beliefs into their work. Both authors are known as being followers of Transcendentalism, but they have very different views on how to transcend. Whitman and Emerson are both Transcendentalists but they have opposing beliefs on the topics of transcending, physical body, soul, and divinity. Emerson believed that the soul is divine, and the physical body is a barrier that prevents people from transcending. He believes that the body and soul are not joined and that he must get rid of his physical self to achieve transcendence. Emerson thinks that transcending requires going into nature and spending time alone, and he rides himself of his human relationships. He lost all of his friends, but he does not care because he is focused on transcending and losing his physical self. In Emerson’s writing, Nature, he often speaks about perspective. He talks about transcending and become a particle of god. In Nature by Emerson, he transcends. “Standing on the bare ground, my head …show more content…
He believes that both the body and soul are divine, while they are separate. His belief of transcending is the opposite of Emerson’s. Whitman believes that you can transcend by being connected to others and having a large focus on your social life. This contrasts Emerson’s views completely, as he believed that he needs to separate himself from others and be alone in nature. Whitman’s version of transcendentalism had a large focus on universal connectivity and equality. In his writing, Songs of Myself, the characters spent a lot of time in nature and a connection with all types of people. The characters focused on equality and the physical self. In his writing he says, “If I worship one thing more than another it shall be the spread of my own body, or any part of it.” This proves that he believes his body is divine, as well as his