Ralph Waldo Emerson Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Ralph Waldo Emerson?

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, philosopher, and poet who greatly influenced the transcendentalism movement of the mid-19th century. Born in 1803 in Boston, Massachusetts to a traditionally Unitarian family, Emerson’s father passed away when he was still very young. He entered Harvard University at 14 and graduated with honors four years later.Emerson began his career as a minister and during this time wrote his first published work Nature (1836). In it he expressed his belief that divinity could be found within nature itself while rejecting traditional social conventions. This established him as one of America’s foremost transcendentalists. Transcendentalism looked toward spiritual truth beyond what could be seen or experienced through physical senses alone.In addition to Nature, Emerson also wrote The American Scholar (1837), which is considered one of the most important pieces of early American literature for its call for intellectual independence from Europe. He followed this up with essays such as Self-Reliance (1841) and Circles (1841), emphasizing individualism over conformity and encouraging readers to think freely using their own experience instead of relying on others’ opinions or ideas. His writing contributed significantly to the development of literary expression in North America during this period, influencing authors like Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson and many more who followed after him.Emerson also lectured frequently throughout New England on topics including literature, philosophy, religion and culture these lectures were compiled into collections such as Representative Men (1850)and The Conduct Of Life ( 1860). These works helped establish Emerson’s reputation both nationally and internationally for being an inspirational thinker whose words touched millions around the world particularly those seeking spiritual guidance or looking for ways to challenge society’s norms. Emerson died in 1882 but left behind an impressive body of work which has inspired countless individuals since then with its passionate themes about self-reliance freedom, creativity, nonconformity, optimism, intuition, respect for nature. Ralph Waldo Emerson continues to have a profound impact today even centuries after his death .