Journey through Transcendentalism Transcendentalism is the philosophical system that leads to reality. Although philosophy is an opinionated subject, 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 paradox to illustrate his belief in individualism in his memoir Walden. In Bryant's Thanatopsis he describes death through his use of pathos. Emerson shows self-confidence as he uses logos in his work Self-Reliance. Henry Thoreau illustrates the belief in individualism in his memoir Walden using paradox. Individualism is the social theory that allows for the rights or independent action of the individual. Paradox is a statement that seems credible but also contradicts itself. “I went into the woods / because I wanted to live deliberately / to face only the essential / facts of life” (237). In this excerpt, Thoreau explains that people must learn to choose their life path independently and purposefully. He places himself in the desert to be only around the "essential facts of life" to explain that life is not just physical appearance but also self-realization. A person who does not take the time to enjoy life will realize later in life that he should have taken more advantage of life. “Our life is wasted by details.” In this quote, Thoreau states that people waste time on the details of life. This refers to the person who does not take advantage of life. If people live their lives worrying about the details and don't branch out in excitement, they won't be able to say they truly lived life. There are more paradoxical ideas that Thoreau uses to illustrate the individual… middle of the paper… each individual is in control of their own abilities, judgment, and powers, which relates to self-confidence. Emerson descriptively displays the ideas of self-reliance in his memoir Self-Reliance through his uses of logos. Over the years, people around the world have accepted or opposed the idea of ​​transcendentalism. Some politicians the idea as did the following authors. Henry Thoreau, William Bryant, and Ralph Emerson not only chose to accept the idea, but also embraced the knowledge and displayed their individual thoughts and beliefs on it. They descriptively inscribe their thoughts through poems and memoirs. The authors also make use of rhetorical devices such as paradox, pathos and logos to realize their thoughts towards transcendentalism. The beliefs they display are individualism, death, and self-confidence. Their beliefs continue to gain recognition today.