... essays are a series of loosely related impressions, maxims, proverbs, and parables. He has been described as belonging to the tradition of "wisdom literature" that includes Confucius, Marcus Aurelius, Michel de Montaigne, and Francis Bacon, among others. Despite personal hardships, Emerson developed a moral philosophy based on optimism and individualism. In "Self-Reliance," he wrote, "Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity ... . Emerson edited the periodical from 1842 to 1844. During the 1830's, Emerson gained a solid, though controversial, reputation as a public lecturer and as a y...

• Word Count: 3135
• Approx Pages: 13
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... , iconoclastic proponent of freedom and self-reliance." Sometime in his junior year of college, Emerson began to develop and support his own theories and ideas by becoming extremely well read. Studying works by accomplished thinkers including Hume, Montaigne, Goethe, Plato, Wordsworth, Carlyle, and Pythagoras allowed Emerson to learn about and expand on his own beliefs. Applying all the great literature he read ... habitually spoke against the status quo and in favor of whatever was wild and free." Believing in the power of individualism, Emerson made sure to consciously and deliberately...

• Word Count: 987
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate