... sacred but the integrity of your own mind," and, "Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist." Emerson was born in Boston. His early life was marked by poverty, frustration, and sickness. His father, a Unitarian minister, died in 1811, leaving Emerson's mother to raise five sons. One of his younger brothers spent most of his life in mental institutions. Another brother, also ... by direct, mystical intuition of God, and opposed formal Christianity's emphasis on ritual. Emerson's next two books, Essays (1841 and 1844), contain much of his most enduring prose. In "Compensation," "Spiri...

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