Emerson

​Ralph Waldo Emerson & Transcendentalism

Romantic Literature

Mrs. Sirota​

​Emerson's influence

​-A rare writer because he appealed both to intellectuals and the common man

-He is best classified as a poet

-“That [being a poet] is my nature and vocation. My singing, be sure, is very ‘husky,’ and is for the most part in prose. Still am I a poet in the sense of a perceiver and dear lover of the harmonies that are in the soul and in the matter.”​

-Recognized as the father of Transcendentalism ​

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following was a key view of Transcendentalism?

• Humans are inherently separate from God

• Creation reflects the "divine soul"

• Reason and logic are key to understanding the world

• God is intimately involved in events that occur in our world

Emerson's early life

-Born in Boston to a cultured but poor family in 1803

-father was a minister

-Emerson attended Harvard University to become a minister himself

-After graduating, Emerson became the pastor of a church in Boston and married Ellen Tucker, who was already in the early stages of tuberculosis

-Ellen died 17 months later

-After 3 years as a pastor, Emerson resigned to take an extended

tour of Europe where he met Wordsworth and Coleridge.​

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Multiple Choice

True or false: Emerson remained a minister for his entire career

• True

• False

Emerson's mid life

​-Returned to the U.S. in 1833 and began giving lectures where he found a "new pulpit"

-Promoted a distinctly American view and denied the importance

of the past.

-"Let us unfetter ourselves of our historical associations and

find pure standards in the idea of man.

-Believed all individual souls were part of a larger entity he called

the "Over-Soul"​

Open Ended

Do you agree with Emerson's quote about the past? Why or why not? Respond in 2-3complete sentences.

Emerson's mid life

-He believed individuals could see their souls reflected in nature

-Gave a famous speech at Harvard called "The American Scholar" which called for Americans to free themselves from the shackles of the past

-"Our day of dependency...our long apprenticeship to the ​learning

of other lands, draws to a close."

-He also spoke to a group of divinity students calling for a rejection of institutional religion in favor of a personal relationship with God.

-Said religion is an intuition and could not be received secondhand ​

Emerson's later life

-Emerson's fame grew, and many young people began to make pilgrimages to Concord to see him and seek his wisdom

-He was appealing to a large audience because of his philosophical ideas about humanity, nature, and God, and because of his optimism​

• His optimist was dealt a blow when his young son died of scarlet fever and he shrank into an emotional shell from which he never emerged

-In later life, he suffered ​ extreme memory loss and had difficulty recalling ordinary words​

-E​merson died in 1882 at age 79

Open Ended

What does Emerson's life display about the potential danger of the unceasing optimism of Transcendentalists and Romantics in general? Explain your thoughts in complete sentences.

​Nature

-Published in 1836

-Written in the study of Emerson's family home

-Outlines the foundations for transcendentalism

-Uses vivid imagery to describe the natural world and, in doing so, appeal to readers and encourage them to behold nature face-to-face​

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​Vocabulary needed for Nature

​-Admonishing v. used as adj. : gently warning

-Integrate​ v. : unify

-Perennial adj. : persistent, constant

-Blithe adj: carefree

-Occult adj: hidden (YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW THIS ONE!!!)​

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Multiple Choice

Which of the following vocabulary words fits best in this sentence:

My grandfather loves cigars so much that he is ________ to the dangers of smoking.

• Admonishing

• Integrate

• Perennial

• Blithe

​Now that you've learned a bit about Emerson and what informed his views, read the selection from Nature on pages 206-207 of the textbook and respond to the analysis questions.