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American Transcendentalism: An Online Travel Guide Journals Poetry Special Presentations Syllabus WebQuests Links & References About This Site WebQuest: Henry David Thoreau and Nature Writing
Overview: In this WebQuest, you will learn about the ways in which Henry David Thoreau reflects the Transcendentalist emphasis on nature and initiates a long literary tradition of nature writing. Here you can see the growing emphasis on the American landscape and setting as an important focus for American writing.
Step 1: Learn about the life and work of Henry David Thoreau. Read a biography of Thoreau.
Eserver provides online versions of all of Thoreau’s writings. You can also find photographs and numerous other resources about the famed cabin dweller. Read about the connection between Thoreau and nature writing. Consider Emerson and Thoreau as pioneers in the environmental movement by reading Ann Woodlief’s essay,
"Emerson and Thoreau as American Prophets of Eco-Wisdom."Look at journal entries from Emerson and Thoreau. Read what Thoreau has to say about the art of writing. View the cabin. Take a look at this reading group discussion guide for Walden. Learn about the Thoreau’s reputation and the public’s response to Walden. View the images that depict the actual Walden Pond by following the links listed below. Literary Traveler: Sunrise at Walden Pond Journal Prompts
As always, at least one of your journal entries this week should be in response to the WebQuest. Here are some possible prompts to get you started on that task (but you aren’t limited to these starting points!). Essay Question Discuss the ways in which Thoreau uses his focused experience at Walden Pond to reflect Transcendentalist concerns with nature. You may wish to focus on one particular aspect of the pond, one particular time of day, or one particular season. In what ways does Thoreau bring to life the principles and philosophy Emerson articulated in "Nature"? Be sure to cite resources from the WebQuest as well as from the primary texts (Walden and "Nature"). See the Essay Guidelines for more detail about research, sources, length requirements, and documentation. Essay due to Dr. Dwyer via email by Wednesday, February 20, at 3:00 p.m. "American Transcendentalism: An Online Travel Guide" was produced by students in ENGL 446, American Transcendentalism, and ENGL 447, American Literature and the Prominence of Place: A Travel Practicum. These courses were team-taught in the Department of English at Shepherd College, Shepherdstown, West Virginia, in Spring 2002 by Dr. Patricia Dwyer and Dr. Linda Tate. For more information on the course and the web project, visit "About This Site." © 2003 Linda Tate. |