Transcendentalism Explication

Of all the poems that I researched and read through, "Good-By" by Ralph Waldo Emerson was the most personal and reflective poem that I found. The speaker is talking about leaving the world to go back home. While this would be a sad occasion for most people, the way the message is conveyed in the poem shows joy and happiness to go to where they want to be. This memorandum is spoken with a tone of excitement and integrity. The speaker is not at all concerned with the way that he looks to the rest of the world; all that matters to him is that he gets to be back home. It is evident that he has experienced all that he needs to see and doesn't want to stay somewhere where he is not happy anymore. The tone used is the most important technique in this poem. Without the proud attitude reflected, the speaker would not be able to convey his message so effortlessly. It is clear to the reader that the speaker has already found his identity and now cannot wait to go somewhere that he knows it will be appreciated and accepted. This is especially obvious when Emerson states, "I laugh at the lore and pride of man" because it is so pronounced that he does not care what anyone else thinks and finds the pride that other men have humorous because he is far above it.

　
Ralph Waldo Emerson uses specific imagery in order to let the reader see exactly what he sees. In the first stanza, Emerson illustrates how he thinks the world portrays him by stating "Long through thy weary crowds I roam; A river-ark on the ocean brine, Long I've been tossed like the driven foam." He uses the description of the river-arc being next to the ocean water in order to make the reader aware that this is how he feels beside the rest of the world considering how small the river is in comparison to the ocean. However even while the river is smaller, when it gets to the ocean it opens up and mixes in with the rest of the water. This is similar to the way that Emerson feels when he is home, feeling like he is at peace and one with his surroundings.

The most important and moving part of the poem occurs in the second stanza when the speaker is saying his goodbyes to the world. He specifically picks certain things to say his farewells too which show the reader what is important to him. Emerson says goodbye to "Flattery's fawning face", "Grandeur, with his wise grimace", "Wealth's averted eye", "Office high and low", "crowded halls", "frozen hearts" and "fasting feet". However even with all of these things, he still says that he wants to say goodbye "to those who go, and those who come". This shows that he wants to end things even to the people that come and go throughout his life. In life there are many people who come into your life but don't stay for one reason or another. Your home is the only thing that does not leave you and will remain yours forever. No matter how far away you go, you can always go back and see what you left behind. People do not remain the same in this way, so giving a farewell can be a permanent gesture. In this poem the speaker's tone reveals that while saying goodbye to those who are around you, these words give you the freedom to go on with your life and go wherever your heart takes you.

When the speaker talks about his home, the language and fluidity in his thoughts are evident. The way that he writes and the descriptions that he uses show how fond he is of his home and what it means for him to go there. The first thing he says regarding this place is "I am going back to my own hearth-stone". When reading this line, the reader feels a sense of happiness for the speaker that he can go back to the place that he remembers so fondly. In life there are so many things that are strictly your own, but the most important and memorable of all is the place you call home. Some people do not remember this place fondly, so the fact that this speaker can have such intense admiration for his home is very special. In line 17-18, Emerson says "A secret nook in a pleasant land, whose groves the frolic fairies planned." These lines take his home from being just a house he is fond of to a magical abode. They bring his respect for his dwelling to a new high with the imagery and tone that are used.

Ralph Waldo Emerson uses particular literary devices in order to make the poem flow more naturally while keeping the tone as the most important element. He uses a rhyme scheme on the last words of each line in order to tie the poem together. This technique keeps the reader’s attention and makes the words more pronounced. The most repeated word that is used to rhyme is "home". This is used so that the reader notices "home" as being important and useful to implementing the theme. Also, after each stanza is broken up, the reader gets a different feeling every time they start reading again. After the first section which deals with how the speaker wants to leave the environment he is in, the subject changes to saying goodbye to his surroundings. From here, there is another switch to what his home is like and how fond of it he is. Between the second and third stanza, there is a change in the tone. When the speaker talks about his goodbyes, his tone is mellow and not happy at all, but then when he is talking about actually going home he becomes excited and blissful.

A very important element involved in the construction of the poem is that there are only two times in the poem when God is mentioned. Even more noticeable is that these times are when the speaker is talking about his home and how important it is to him, both occurring in the last two stanzas. The first time that God is mentioned reads, "Echo the blackbirds roundelay, and vulgar feet have never trod a spot that is sacred to thought and God." It is more important because the mention of God is in unison with his thoughts. This line shows the importance of the transcendentalism movement. When religion is spoken about, it is key that it is in association with thoughts and personal beliefs. By having these two mentions at the end of the poem it helps to implement the importance of religion but only in terms of the transcendentalism way of thinking. The speaker has found his identity and is now moving on to things that he is doing for himself. It is important to mention God here when the speaker has found his path in life and knows he is going home for his own satisfaction.

Although each stanza talks about a specific aspect of saying goodbye to the world in order to do something that the speaker wants to do, they all come together to make the general message of the poem clear. Initially starting with how much the speaker is aware that "thou'rt( the world) not my friend and I'm not thine" it is clear to the audience how much he doesn't care for the world around him. Saying goodbye comes next but this is not hard for him at all. He says goodbye to the things that he is aware of around him all the time but does not seem sad at all. The only time in the poem that he is happy and excited about things is in the third and fourth stanzas when he talks about going home and then finally being home. The way that the tone shifts before the third stanza further implements the change in his feelings. By the end of the poem each stanza has painted a vivid picture for the reader so it is evident that the speaker has found his identity and is pleased with what he has become. "Good-By" by Ralph Waldo Emerson sticks very closely with to transcendentalism ideas and shows explicitly what it means to go home again.