1 / 10

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson. (1803-1882). Walt Whitman said…. “America in the future, in her long train of poets and writers, while knowing more vehement and luxurious ones, will, I think, acknowledge nothing nearer than this man, the actual beginner of the whole procession.”. Ralph Waldo Emerson.

analu
Download Presentation

Ralph Waldo Emerson

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

  2. Walt Whitman said… “America in the future, in her long train of poets and writers, while knowing more vehement and luxurious ones, will, I think, acknowledge nothing nearer than this man, the actual beginner of the whole procession.”

  3. Ralph Waldo Emerson • Expressed, better than anyone else before him, the advantages of a new land: • Its freedom from the old, corrupt, and dying thoughts and customs of Europe • Its access to higher laws directly through nature rather than indirectly through books and the teachings of the past • Its energy • Its opportunity to reform the world.

  4. Ralph Waldo Emerson One of the rare writers who could appeal both to intellectuals and the general public Gave thousands of public lectures (REMEMBER: Lyceum Movement) Essayist + Philosopher + Speaker  POET

  5. Early Tragedy Born in Boston to a family that was cultured but poor Father died when he was 8, leaving his mother alone with six children to care for Father was replaced by Mary Moody Emerson, a strict Calvinist, who emphasized self-sacrifice and drove the Emerson boys to achievement

  6. Lofty Expectations • Every step of his life had been laid out for him: • Go to Harvard • Become a minister like his father and the seven generations of Emersons before him • Lead a strict religious life • So what did he do?

  7. Finding Himself Entered Harvard at 14 Graduated and took a job to prepare for the ministry Married a girl who soon died of tuberculosis Began to question his religion Shocked his congregation by resigning Set off on an extended tour of Europe

  8. Return to America Began giving public lectures Denied the importance of the past Believed in the “Over-Soul” – made up of everyone’s individual soul Called for a rejection of institutional religion and promoted a personal relationship with God Religious truth = INTUITION

  9. Loved by Many… YOUNG PEOPLE approved of his predictions that they were on the verge of a new age INTELLECTUALS responded to his philosophical ideas about the relations between humans/nature/God SOCIETY as a whole responded to his optimism

  10. The Transparent Eyeball

More Related