Log in

View Full Version : The Legacy of Transcendentalism



rumtussle
09-18-2007, 06:59 PM
Hi all,

I'm writing an essay on the legacy of transcendentalism in contemporary American poetry. My thesis is that even though a contemporary poet might not identify herself/himself as a transcendentalist, the characteristics of Transcendentalism are alive and well in her/his work. I'm looking for examples-- non-religious (or at least non-UU) poets whose work exhibits an affinity for the ideas that there exists a spiritual reality unknowable through empirical means; poetry in which the object is not as important as the speaker's mode of knowing the object (to paraphrase Kant).

So: do any contemporary American poets leap to mind when you read this? I'd appreciate any feedback at all.

Thank you,

Rumtussle