Transcendentalism Project
View Essay - Transcendentalism Project from ENGLISH III at Alfred M. Barbe High School. Emily Fontenot 11-2-15 3rd hour Transcendentalism Project Henry.
“Get Up, Stand Up” - Bob Marley & The Wailers The song “Get Up Stand Up” from Bob Marley and the Wailers emphasize on the non-conformist and self-reliance principles of transcendentalism. In various verses, Marley repeats the concept of how change is a necessity for society and that men are the only ones capable of making those changes, supporting David G. Myers’ opinion that “ We are the stream of causation that shapes the future runs through our present choices”(Myers’ Psychology 2011). This interpretation is made from the following lines of this song, “So now we see the light (what you gonna do?), We gonna stand up for our rights!” in which Bob Marley & The Wailers were seeking to transmit a message to all listeners, encouraging them to be the change if they wanted to see any, as for “What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us” (Ralph Waldo Emerson). Self-reliance is mostly interpreted in this song by the transcendentalist credence that the quintessential spiritual state relies within man rather than the dogma of any sort of religion. Marley says “Preacher man, don’t tell me, heaven is under the earth.
I know you don’t know what life is really worth”. In this verse of the song, the sovereignty of the “preacher man” is questioned as well as the identity of God and his dominion on earth. Another verse from the song with a similar concept is “We sick an’ tired of-a your ism-skism game- Dyin’ ‘n’ goin’ to heaven in-a Jesus’ name, lord. We know when we understand: Almighty God is a living man”. There is message conveyed in another verse that emphasizes on the opinion that religion is often utilized as an implement for oppression in lieu of an implement for peace. “Most people think great god will come from the skies, take away everything and make everybody feel high. But if you know what life is worth, you will look for yours on earth: and now you see the light, you stand up for your rights.
Romanticism And Transcendentalism Project
Jah!” At times, people don’t stand up for their rights because they have been instructed to accept oppression on earth and expect to be recompensed, for some religions in heaven and for other beliefs in their next life. When he says “But if you know what life is worth, you would look for yours on earth” he wants people to seek for heaven on earth, meaning that they should look for happiness while they live and not hope for rewards by living their lives in agony and giving up their rights.
These judgments made by Bob Marley & The Wailers are based on Rastafarian beliefs, which do not support the afterlife, instead they believe in a concept called “everliving”. The non-conformist principle of transcendentalism is also expressed throughout the song by the verses “Get up, stand up! Stand up for your rights!” Religious convictions carried throughout the song that Rastafarianism, unlike other religions like Christianity, pacifies oppressed individuals and allows them to stand up for their beliefs and their rights. Transcendentalists’ thoughts of non-conformity were based on the opinions that one should “stand up for your rights” despite the possible outcomes and consequences that came after their actions, an example being Henry David Thoreau’s essay “Civil Disobedience”, in which Thoreau was incarcerated for not paying his taxes. In this essay of “Civil Disobedience” Thoreau also said that “ only fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it.
A person who chooses to die or to risk death demonstrates that there are values, principles, maxims, that are more valuable to him than is life itself. In short, he places his immortal self above his mortal self.” This excerpt’s significance relates to “Get Up, Stand Up” given that both, the need for non-conformity and self-reliance, are interpreted.
Thoreau portrays the followers of rules that they do not necessarily believe in and conform with them, as well as the decisions that one is capable of making and relying on thyself to save one’s life by living for what is believed to be their rights and beliefs. Henry Ford For the completion of this project I was able to work with a partner from my classroom. We were required to analyze how Transcendentalist thoughts are expressed in an example of a pop culture media. Each person in the the group completed an analysis for one example, having a total of two evaluations.
Being able to properly work with others was a key factor needed for the success and completion of this assignment. Elements such as planning, communication and support enabled my partner and I to implement our ideas and thoughts through this website and conclude this project by covering all the requirements needed.
Transcendentalism By: Valeria G. The idea of transcendentalism has been portrayed in the English language since the 19th century and it's something that occurs very frequently throughout today’s world as well.
Transcendentalism can be seen in not only the form of paintings, but music, architecture, events, and books as well. One characteristic of transcendentalism that is very important is that everyone needs to be an individual and not follow the idea of classicism. In John Mayer’s song, “No Such Thing”, going against the conformity of society and learning from your own experiences is strongly demonstrated all throughout his lyrics.
Transcendentalism Project
In the first verse of the song, Mayer sings, “I’d like to think the best of me, is still hiding up my sleeve.” This line ultimately shows how a man needs to be able to be an individual and become their own self, without the interference of society. In order to experience new things in life, and learn from them one has to step out of the spotlight since it's not all about the 'prom kings and drama queens'. Mayer supports that often people try to hold others back by 'staying inside the lines', when in reality everything is better once stepping out of that comfort zone and truly discovering the strength within. In relation, Emerson says in “Self-Reliance” how the “power which resides in him is nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do nor does he know until he has tried”(267) which supports Mayer’s message that you have to find it in yourself to break away from the conformity of society and become an individual.
Continuously in the song, Emerson’s theory that you have to learn from experiences and not just books is displayed when Mayer sings, “they read all the books but they can’t find the answers.” In high school, and specially junior year, students are so caught up in getting the highest GPA and doing things that 'will look good for college', as many students say, when in reality that's not all that matters when in search for a better future. Just because one is educated doesn't mean one is wise. One has to learn by fulfilling experiences, not just by obtaining everything on a silver platter. In “Self-Reliance”, Emerson explains how “to believe in your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men—that is genius”(266), this furthers the transcendentalist belief that not everything is learned from books, and therefore one “can’t find all the answers” from them. Moreover, throughout the chorus, Mayer’s lyrics say, “I just found out there’s no such thing as the real world, just a lie you’ve got to rise above.” The transcendentalist meaning behind this line is that you have to “rise above” or putting aside societies expectation.
By doing this, one may realize that there is “no such thing as the real world” or how you should live your life, and as Thoreau says, “If one advances confidently in the directions of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours”(343).