Ralph Waldo Emerson - Essay Example

s the assignment was due Ralph Waldo Emerson Introduction Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of famousliterary figures of nineteenth century. Born on 25 May, 1803 in Boston, Massachusetts, Emerson grew up in a spiritual environment. Emerson was appointed as the junior pastor at Boston’s’ Second Church. But after the death of his first wife, Emerson differed from Church’s views on several issues. These differences led to his resignation and his inclination towards transcendentalism. He was influenced by transcendentalism to such an extent that he went on to lead the transcendentalist movement. His works include essays and poems which present his philosophical views about religion, society and culture. Through his essays, Emerson depicted his thoughts on the state of society and its religious beliefs. His poems focused on nature and presented its divinely characteristic. In this paper, we will discuss Emerson’s works and the recurring themes in his writings. His Essays Majority of Emerson’s works are in form of essays and poems. He published his first essay titled Nature in 1836 but he refrained from giving his name to the essay. The author of the essay was given as anonymous. In Nature, Emerson portrayed nature as a divine entity and its significance in the spiritual lives of human beings. He gave a meaning to the role played by nature in human lives. He describes the various facets of nature and its relation with wise man. “Nature never wears a mean appearance. Neither does the wisest man extort her secret, and lose his curiosity by finding out all her perfection. Nature never became a toy to a wise spirit.” (Emerson Nature). Emerson also states his own experiences when he is in company of the nature. When he amidst nature, he feels the presence of God around him and he perceives himself as a part of God. “Standing on the bare ground, -- my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space, -- all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God.” (Emerson Nature).The spiritual aspect of nature which was a new concept to the American society was put forth by Emerson in his essay. In another essay focusing on nature, Emerson writes about the influence of nature in aiding human beings to free themselves from the bindings of the Church and society. He mentions that when an individual enters the beautiful world of nature, he experiences tranquility. “Here no history, or church, or state, is interpolated on the divine sky and the immortal year. How easily we might walk onward into the opening ….. all memory obliterated by the tyranny of the present, and we were led in triumph by nature.” (Emerson Nature). Emerson believed nature was an important source for experiencing God rather than the teachings of the Church. He also points towards the contribution of nature in identifying the divine feelings in human beings. “Man is fallen; nature is erect, and serves as a differential thermometer, detecting the presence or absence of the divine sentiment in man….. selfishness, we are looking up to nature, but when we are convalescent, nature will look up to us.” (Emerson Nature). The significance of nature in every aspect of human is stressed by Emerson in his essays. Another belief that featured in Emerson’s essay was the notion that human beings should follow their own intuitions and thoughts. In his essay Self-Reliance, Emerson illustrates the significance of following one’s thoughts. “To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius.” (Emerson Self-Reliance). He stresses on the need of self-reliance in human lives. He thinks that if an individual stands by his own thoughts, then the world will accept his beliefs some day. He insists that a man should believe his own ideas instead of blindly following the principles of the society. Emerson says that when a person follows the ideas of other person, his knowledge appears to be false. “Well, most men have bound their eyes with one or another handkerchief, and attached themselves to some one of these communities of opinion. This conformity makes them not false in a few particulars, authors of a few lies, but false in all particulars.” (Emerson Self-Reliance). So Emerson states that even if the society ridicules an individual for his beliefs, he should stick to his beliefs and behave following those beliefs. The other prominent essays which Emerson authored were The Poet, Compensation, Experience and The American Scholar. In his essay The Poet, Emerson writes about the qualities that a true poet should possess. He believes that a poet should bring forth the beauty of his own regions through the medium of his own poems. Through his essay Compensation, Emerson explains that every action is compensated accordingly. His essay Experience focuses on factors that affect the perception of an individual towards his experience. The mood of the person determines his acuity of the experience he had. The way a person interprets his experiences decides the course of his life. In the essay The American Scholar, Emerson elaborates on his belief that an individual should follow his own principles and depend on his abilities. Emerson differed from the beliefs of his society on numerous issues. His belief, about the presence of God in nature, was very strong and he emphasized about nature’s divinity through his essays. “In such pieces as "Self-reliance," "Spiritual Laws," "Nature," "The Poet," and "The Over-soul," Emerson explained the inborn goodness of man, the joys of nature and their spiritual significance, and a universal god (a god that exists everywhere and belongs to all).” (Notable Biographies). He also wrote about reforms which were necessary for the American society to progress and succeed in creating a cultural identity that was different from that of Europe. His essays reflected his thoughts on the social conditions prevalent during his times and his liberal attitude towards religion. He introduced a new concept about nature and its relation with divinity in the American society. His Poems The same theme of nature’s divinity is presented by Emerson through his poems. In the poem The Rhodora, Emerson describes the beauty of the Rhodora flower. “I found the fresh Rhodora in the woods, Spreading its leafless blooms in a damp nook, To please the desert and the sluggish brook. The purple petals, fallen in the pool, Made the black water with their beauty gay.” (Emerson The Rhodora). The flower may seem insignificant to others but the poet realizes the presence of a divine force in the flower and it is the same divine power that has created the flower and the poet. “But, in my simple ignorance, suppose The self-same Power that brought me there brought you.” (Emerson The Rhodora). His belief that nature is divine is portrayed through the poem. Another famous poem that focuses on the beauty of nature is The Snow Storm. In this poem, Emerson has depicted a landscape which has been changed by a snow storm. The arrival of a snow storm and the changes brought by it in the environment are presented by the poet. “Announced by all the trumpets of the sky, Arrives the snow, and, driving oer the fields, Seems nowhere to alight: the whited air Hides hill and woods, the river, and the heaven, And veils the farmhouse at the gardens end.” (Emerson The Snow Storm). The snow transforms the landscape by leaving behind beautiful art work. Emerson describes the creations of snow as art work. “Leaves, when the sun appears, astonished Art To mimic in slow structures, stone by stone, Built in an age, the mad winds night-work, The frolic architecture of the snow.” (Emerson The Snow Storm). Nature, in its various forms, is illustrated by Emerson in his poems. Another famous poem by Emerson, deals with the mystic nature of The Sphinx. In the poem The Sphinx, Emerson writes about the urge of The Sphinx to know about the secret behind her creation. Emerson’s poems also portray religious ideas which attracted him towards them. In the poem Hamatreya, Emerson presents the Hindu wisdom and tries to apply it to the setting of New England. The poem Brahma also depicts the religious ideas of Hindu culture. Emerson also wrote about his personal feelings in his poems. One such poem that depicts the personal experience of Emerson is Threnody. In this poem, Emerson has expressed his grief over the death of his son. The other poem inspired by Emerson’s personal experience is The Problem. He writes about his problem regarding his approbation of the Church leaders in spite of the fact that he had refused to be one amongst them. In the poem Terminus, Emerson speaks about old age and the nearing of his death. His poem Concord Hymn is a patriotic poem. Emerson’s poems are influenced by his thoughts about nature, religion and personal experiences. Conclusion Ralph Waldo Emerson was influenced by the transcendental movement. And this influence reflected in his writings. Emerson wrote extensively about nature and its significance in human lives. For him, nature was a source which assists human beings in experiencing spirituality. Emerson emphasized on the divinity of the nature. His essays bring forth his thought that nature and human beings were created from the same divine source and so the presence of God can be felt in the company of nature. Nature plays a significant role in every aspect of human lives. Through his essays, Emerson presented his views about self-reliance, characteristics of true poet and religion. His works reflected his liberal thoughts which differed from the opinion of the Church. He wrote numerous poems on nature and its varied forms. His personal experiences are also depicted in his poems. The divinity of nature is a theme that recurs in his works. The notion that God is present in nature and being in company of the nature can aid an individual in comprehending the divinity of nature is dominant in his works. Works Cited Emerson, Ralph. The Snow Storm. Read Print. 5 December 2008. http://www.readprint.com/work-676/Ralph-Waldo-Emerson Emerson, Ralph. The Rhodora. Write Spirit. 5 December 2008. http://www.writespirit.net/spiritual_poets/ralph_waldo_emerson/the_rhodora/ Emerson, Ralph. Nature. American Transcendentalism Web. 5 December 2008. http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/emerson/essays/ naturetext.html Emerson, Ralph. Nature. Ralph Waldo Emerson Texts. 5 December 2008. http://www.emersoncentral.com/nature2.htm Emerson, Ralph. Ralph Waldo Emerson: Self-Reliance (1841). 5 December 2008. http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_2/emerson .html Notable Biographies. RALPH WALDO EMERSON Biography. 5 December 2008. http://www.notablebiographies.com/Du-Fi/Emerson-Ralph-Waldo.html Read More