Well now, if you’re sittin’ there scratchin’ your head about that “major influence” crossword clue from the New York Times, I reckon I can help you out a bit. I was lookin’ at that puzzle the other day, and when I saw the clue “Major influence on Walt Whitman and Henry David Thoreau,” it didn’t take me too long to figure out what the answer was. The name you’re lookin’ for is Emerson.
Now, you might be wonderin’ who this Emerson fella is. Well, let me tell ya. He was a big thinker, a real important one in the world of literature and philosophy. The full name is Ralph Waldo Emerson, and he was known for his ideas on transcendentalism. Now, I don’t mean to throw big words at you, but this transcendentalism stuff was all about the idea that people should trust their inner self and look to nature for inspiration. That’s right, he thought nature was the best teacher of all.
Well, what does this have to do with Whitman and Thoreau? Let me tell ya, Emerson had a big hand in shaping their thinking. He encouraged them to see the world a little differently. Walt Whitman, with his poetry all about individualism and celebrating the self, sure picked up on these ideas. And Henry David Thoreau, well, he was all about that idea of simple living and closeness to nature. You know, he even went off to live in a little cabin by Walden Pond for a spell, just to get away from all the hustle and bustle of the world. Emerson’s ideas had a big influence on both of ‘em.
So, when you’re sittin’ there doin’ that crossword puzzle and you see “Major influence on Walt Whitman and Henry David Thoreau,” you just gotta think of ol’ Ralph Waldo Emerson. He was the one who helped show them the way, so to speak.
Now, if you’re still a bit confused about what exactly this “transcendentalism” thing is, don’t worry. It’s really just the belief that people could connect with a higher truth through nature and their own thoughts, without needing all the fancy rules of society. Emerson thought that people should be their own best guides. He didn’t much care for the way society was set up. He wanted people to think for themselves and be in tune with the natural world.
How Did Emerson Influence Thoreau and Whitman?
- Whitman: Walt Whitman was all about the idea of individualism, and that came from Emerson. Whitman wrote poems that celebrated the individual, the common person, and he wasn’t afraid to be different. His poem “Leaves of Grass” is full of these ideas, and you can see Emerson’s influence in the way Whitman talks about nature and the self.
- Thoreau: Now, Thoreau took Emerson’s ideas and ran with ‘em. He spent time out in the woods, like I said, to get away from the world and live simply. His book, “Walden,” is all about the lessons he learned from living close to nature. You can’t deny that Emerson had a big part in shaping Thoreau’s ideas about simple living and self-reliance.
If you ever get the chance to read a little bit about Emerson’s ideas, you might see just how important he was to the way we think about nature and the self today. Sure, he was a philosopher and writer, but he was also a man who truly believed in the power of the individual, and that’s a message that still holds true today. It’s a message you can find in the works of Whitman and Thoreau, two of the most influential writers in American history.
So, next time you come across a crossword puzzle and see that clue “Major influence on Walt Whitman and Henry David Thoreau,” you’ll know exactly who to think of—Emerson, the man who helped shape the way these great minds saw the world.
Tags：[Emerson, Walt Whitman, Henry David Thoreau, Transcendentalism, Crossword Puzzle, Literature, Philosophy, Nature, Self-Reliance]
