He expresses his views on life through several continuous metaphors, challenging the reader to comprehend each statement (Gerber). "The American Scholar" also a very popular essay among many, stressed the importance of "literary independence" throughout his work was said to be an "Intellectual declaration of Independence" (Myerson). On the other hand not all of Emerson's essays were accepted such as his infamous "The Divinity School Address" which is said to be his most controversial essay of all, and was rejected by many. He recited this essay to the graduating class of Harvard's Divinity School and in front of many famous Unitarian dignitaries, began to criticize organized religion, mainly Christianity. This essay was classified as, easily, his most shocking essay to date. His essays although very influential, began to divert people away from his literature. (Myerson).
His collection of poems was vast and each had its own mysterious story. "Concord Hymn," one of his earlier poems, described the "shot that was heard around the world," the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. It is described as "a fine companion to "Paul Revere's Ride"" ("Concord Hymn" 1). Another of his more famous poems was "The Rhodora." where he writes about a common New England flower just because it lives. This theme coincides with his book entitled Nature ("The Rhodora" 1). Finally, one of his later poems "Threnody," is called one of his most emotional pieces ever written (Gerber). His words used are characterized as divine and full of mourning. His poem describes the effect of the death of his young son. Emerson attempts to grieve the loss of his young boy, Waldo, by writing a poem commemorated to him. It is "Of deep Beauty and austere tenderness," but as with several of his later poems there are "Traces of faulty drawing and unbalanced proportion" throughout. Also his writing is very mystical in its mood and hard to understand.
British Criticism on Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of the most influential literary figures in history. ... Emerson's British critics shared mixed views on his works. ... In Nature, Emerson makes reference to a "transparent eyeball" (Emerson, PG?) ... Lawrence commented, "I like Emerson's real courage. ... Emerson simply didn't want to be limited to a religion. ...
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau had a conflicting view on the idea of American colleges. ... Emerson continues on in his criticism. ... Emerson starts off by bashing the idea of man learning from a book. ... Thoreau has a similar view of institutionalized education to that of Emerson's. ... Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau had a unique perspective on not only learning, but on life. ...
The two preeminent American authors of the 19th century, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Frederick Douglass, each criticized Christianity as it was practiced in the United States. ... Just under a decade later Frederick Douglass, a former slave, published his criticism in Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass. These writers, in spite of their criticism, were strong believers in faith, and both included positive spiritual alternatives in their literature. ... Emerson's address may have been interpreted as a direct threat to organized religion. ... Emerson's address, though, did not...
This book goes thought the live of six Americans: Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Sojourner Truth, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau. ... Ralph Waldo Emerson ranks as a leading figure in the thought and literature of American civilization. ... Emerson's essays are a series of loosely related impressions, maxims, proverbs, and parables. ... Despite personal hardships, Emerson developed a moral philosophy based on optimism and individualism. ... Emerson was born in Boston. ...
." - Ralph Waldo Emerson A Condensation of Its Context Toward the end of his notebook, "Naturalist," Ralph Waldo Emerson entered sentence (dated 1853) that marks a symbolic vision of nature familiar to his readers and, in more recent years, of concern to his ecologically minded critics: "He is the richest who has most use for nature as raw material of tropes and symbols with which to describe his life." (2) One can see why the tradition of reading Emerson's nature writing and environmental aesthetics in sharp contrast with Henry David Thoreau's--Thoreau viewed as "Emerson's ea...
Definitions Transcendentalism- a system of philosophy, especially that associated with Ralph Waldo Emerson and other New England writers, that emphasizes intuition or the divine Romanticism- in the arts, the style and theories of the romantic movement, or the movement itself Aphorism- a literary, artistic, and philosophical movement originating in the 18th century 11. ... Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) - American essayist and poet, a leader of the philosophical movement of transcendentalism. ... Emerson is noted for his skill in presenting his ideas eloquently and in poetic langua...
The two writers succeeded in representing America as it really was thru their criticism (Carter,119). ... His biography for Abraham Lincoln earned him enough money to travel to New England and meet the great writers, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, James Russell Lowell, and Walt Whitman (Edwin H., 288). ...
Thoreau lived under the roof of the leader of Transcendentalism, Ralph Waldo Emerson, as a handyman, although their relationship was also one of master and disciple. ... Many of Henry David Thoreau's colleagues and critics felt that his writings were not original and were too similar to Emerson's ideas of Transcendentalism. ... (Walden) I can neither agree nor disagree with all of the criticism that Thoreau received, but through past experiences in the military I know first-hand that individuality in a structured community does not bode well. ... (Emerson and Thoreau)...