A Journey into the Transcendentalists' New England (ArtPlace series)

The New England towns and villages that inspired the major figures of the Transcendentalism movement are presented by region in this travel guide that devotes a chapter to each town or village famous for its relationship to one or more of the Transcendentalists. Cambridge, where Ralph Waldo Emerson delivered his powerful speeches is highlighted, as is Walden, where Henry David Thoreau spent two years attuning himself to the rhythms of nature. Other chapters retrace the paths of major writers and poets of the period as well as the utopian communities of the time. This invaluable traveling companion offers street maps, historical illustrations, and narratives that create a vivid sense of New England in the 19th century. This lavishly illustrated volume examines the major figures of the Transcendentalist movement and explores the places that inspired them. Beginning with Transcendentalism's birth in Boston and Cambridge, the book charts the development of a movement that revolutionized American ideas about the artistic, spiritual, and natural worlds. At the same time, it creates a vivid sense of New England in the nineteenth century, from its idyllic countryside and sleepy towns to its bustling ports and burgeoning cities. The book is divided geographically into chapters, each focusing on a town or village famous for its relationship to one or more of the Transcendentalists Presents the New England towns and villages that inspired the major figures of the Transcendentalism movement. This travel guide contains chapters on each town or village famous for its relationship to one or more of the Transcendentalists. It offers street maps, historical illustrations, and narratives on the New England of the 19th century Transcendentalism : An Introduction -- Boston : Public Face -- Cambridge : Training Ground -- Concord : Heart And Soul -- Walden : Secular And Sacred -- Salem : Sins Of The Past -- Utopian Societies : Transcendent Communities -- Amherst : Paradise. R. Todd Felton. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 153-160) And Index.