Category: Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson: Self-Reliance Emerson is the seminal intellectual, philosophical voice of the nineteenth century in America. Although readers today may find his thought slightly facile, even unrealistic– times do change–his influence among his contemporaries and those who followed immediately after him was enormous. Emerson was the spokesman for the American Transcendentalists, a group of…

Due to Emerson and his direct sucessor Thoreau, millions of Americans have touched and felt India since the mid-nineteenth century. In Boston the seaport was bustling with texts from abroad, including travel logs of India, and stories derived from ancient scriptures. Like Indian spices and mercantile goods, translations of the Bhagavad Gita and other scriptures…

Introduction to Emerson’s Convictions “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.” This quote is towards the beginning of Emerson’s “Self-Reliance,” and it is the basis of Emerson’s convictions. “Trust thyself,” begins the quotation. The semicolon separates this idiom from the rest of the quote, because it has the power to stand alone. Emerson…

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American Transcendentalist poet and essayist during the 19th century who wrote his best essay titled “Self-Reliance.” The purpose of Emerson’s essay was to encourage his readers to think freely. He argued that societal standards have a conflicting effect on an individual’s personal growth and individuality, and states that self-sufficiency allows…

Introduction: The Multifaceted Genius of Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson was born on May 25, 1803 and died on April 27, 1882. Emerson was a respected poet and philosopher. He began his studies at Harvard when he was 14 years old and graduated when he was 18. Emerson voiced his opinion on many topics…