According to one of the founders of the Transcendental
period, the purpose of the period was for people to find a way to relate to the universe
in their own personal way (Ralph Waldo Emerson). This being said, one would not
necessarily have to write as a Transcendentalist to be considered one. Instead, the
poet, or author, would simply need to show that they are relating to the universe on an
individual level.
Given that Transcendentalism was a
movement of which took place during the 1830s and 1840s, and Dickinson was born in 1830,
she is not technically able to be considered a part of the Transcendental movement.
Dickinson is historically recognized as a Romantic, given the period she wrote in, event
though she typically stayed away from the Romantic
ideas.
In her poem "A something in a summer's day",
Dickinson reflects on the importance a summer day has on her life. The day is described
as one which "solemnizes", "transcends", and "transports." In this fashion, the poem
could be considered to be Transcendental based upon the fact that Dickinson recognizes
her relation the the universe based upon the impact of nature (another of the Romantic's
typical influences).
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