Compare Ralph Emerson and Henry Thoreau's views on nature, the individual, and conformity.

Both thinkers were drivers of the Transcendentalist
movement.  I think that there was a slight difference in how both perceived the ends of
the movement, though.  For Emerson, the transcendentalist position of revering nature,
driving the idea of embracing individuality, and defying the idea of conformity are all
extremely important for the individual to live a contented life.  Emerson takes these
points on a subjective level, seeking to broaden social change through individual
embrace of such notions of the good.  This can be seen in all of his works, but is
present in his work entitled
Nature:

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The work is, as its title suggests, a
study of Nature and humanity’s relationship to Nature. Part philosophical treatise, part
prose poem, Nature attempts to outline the pathway to spiritual enlightenment, which
begins with not only the praise and appreciation of Nature but also the belief that it
is divine.

For
Emerson, the path to true understanding and enlightenment is an individual one that
embraces nature, individual, and the intrinsic uniqueness in both. This is a subjective
experience and in praising the subjective, Emerson is traditionally Romantic in his idea
that the universal stems from it.

Thoreau shares in much of
the same, but he is a bit different in the take he proposes.  Thoreau embaced the
Transcendentalist ideas concerning the nature, the subjective individual, and striking a
position of anti- conformity, but injected a political dimension into this discussion. 
While Emerson hoped for social change, Thoreau seemed to demand it.  The politicization
of Transcendentalism is more present with Thoreau, who argued that if one was committed
to Transcendentalist ideas, then political dissent was
inevitable:

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In “Resistance to Civil Government,”
Thoreau states, 'Unjust laws exist: shall we be content to obey them, or shall we
endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress
them at once?' Thoreau’s answer was to transgress, and go to jail if necessary, for as
he says, 'Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man
is also a
prison.”

For
Thoreau, the recognition of the Transcendentalist goals into political and social
movements of change is of vital importance.  Wihle Emerson embraces these notions of
good on a personal leve, Thoreau argues that they are vitiated in their potency if not
applied to the level of social and political forms of change and
reform.