Journey through TranscendentalismTranscendentalism is the system of philosophy that leads to reality. Although philosophy is a matter of opinion, there are still universal judgments about it. William Bryant, Henry Thoreau, and Ralph Emerson illustrate the ideas of transcendentalism through their works using rhetorical devices. Thoreau uses the paradox to illustrate his belief in individualism in his memoir Walden. In Bryant's Thanatopsis, he describes death through his use of pathos. Emerson demonstrates autonomy by using logos in his Self-Reliance work. Henry Thoreau illustrates the belief in individualism in his memoir Walden using paradox. Individualism is the social theory that permits the rights or independent action of the individual. Paradox is a statement that seems credible but also contradicts itself. “I went to the woods / because I wanted to live deliberately / face only the essentials / the facts of life” (237). In this excerpt, Thoreau explains that people must learn to choose their life path independently and deliberately. He places himself in the middle of nature to focus only on the “essential facts of life” to explain that life is not only a physical appearance but also personal development. A person who does not take the time to enjoy their life will realize later in life that they should have enjoyed life more. “Our lives are ruined by the details.” In this quote, Thoreau states that people waste time on the details of life. This refers to the person who does not enjoy life. If people live their lives paying attention to the details and don't throw themselves into enthusiasm, they won't be able to say that they have truly lived their life. There are more paradoxical ideas that Thoreau uses to illustrate the individual... middle of article... each individual controls their abilities, judgment, and powers, which refers to autonomy. Emerson descriptively expounds the ideas of autonomy in his memoir Self-Reliance through his use of logos. Over the years, people of the world have either accepted or opposed the idea of ​​transcendentalism. Some politicize the idea as subsequent authors have done. Henry Thoreau, William Bryant, and Ralph Emerson not only chose to accept the idea, but they also embraced the knowledge and displayed their individual thoughts and beliefs on it. They record their thoughts descriptively through poems and memoirs. The authors also use rhetorical devices such as paradox, pathos, and logos to realize their thoughts on transcendentalism. The beliefs they display are individualism, death, and self-reliance. Their beliefs continue to gain recognition today.