Essay on Transcendentalism Transcendentalism is the philosophical system that leads to reality. William Bryant, Henry Thoreau, and Ralph Emerson illustrate the ideas of transcendentalism through their works. Although transcendentalism is an opinionated topic, there are still universal judgments about philosophy. An argument presented in Thanatopsis (Bryant's work) is that constantly worrying about death is useless because it is a perpetual fact of life. There's no way to stop it. Bryant, Thoreau, and Emerson use paradox, pathos, and logos to illustrate their beliefs about individualism, death, and self-reliance. Henry Thoreau's Walden clarifies the belief of individualism. “I went into the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to face only the essential facts of life” (1-4). In this excerpt, Thoreau believes that people must learn to choose their life path independently and intentionally. The “essential facts of life” are often accepted only as material necessities. Although materials are essential, human existence trumps it. “When I came to die, you found that I had not lived” (7-9). Thoreau uses paradox to explain that it is evident that no person will die without first experiencing life. Life is not just physical appearance, but also self-realization. Being alone in solitude is also a paradoxical idea that Thoreau illustrates to achieve individualism. The idea shows that being alone does not automatically cause loneliness. You can be more alone in a room full of people, and be at peace with yourself in an empty room. Thoreau reflects and captures the concept of individualism in Walden through his uses of paradox. William Bryant elaborates on the elements of death through his uses of pathos in Thanatopsis. “To him who in...middle sheet......s.Transcendentalism is the philosophical system that leads to reality. Author Ralph Emerson, William Bryant, and Henry Thoreau show transcendentalism in their works. To do this they use pathos, logos and paradox. Self-sufficiency is a story of logic. Emerson states that individuals must understand that they live their lives for themselves and that if they allow someone else to live for them their uniqueness is obscured. Thanatopsis illustrates the elements of death. The main argument of the poem is that worrying about death is useless because it is bound to come. Walden is a work that employs individualism. Thoreau assures the audience that being alone in an empty room could bring an individual to peace with himself better than being accompanied by thousands of people. Through the rhetorical devices used, these authors relate fantastically to transcendentalism.