Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the most influential writers and thinkers of the 19th century. His work as an essayist, lecturer, and poet helped to shape American literature and philosophy, emphasizing individuality, nature, and spirituality.
Ralph was born on May 25, 1803, in Boston, Massachusetts, where his early life was marked by tragedy. His father, a Unitarian minister in profession, died when Ralph was only eight years old. From then on, the young boy was raised by his mother, with help from other women in the family, including his aunt.
Despite hardships from the loss, Ralph entered Harvard College at the age of 14, worked to pay for school expenses, became class poet and graduated in 1821. Following his father's footsteps, Ralph entered the ministry and became a pastor of the Second Church in Boston. However, after the death of his first wife, Ellen Tucker, and a crisis of faith, he resigned from the ministry in 1832.
This period of personal upheaval prompted Ralph to travel to Europe, where he met important intellectual figures. These encounters profoundly influenced Ralph's thinking and writing. Upon returning to the United States, he began to develop the ideas that would underpin transcendentalism, a movement that promoted the inherent goodness of people and nature, as well as the importance of personal intuition and spirituality over empirical evidence and organized religion.
In 1836, Ralph published his seminal work, "Nature," which laid the foundation for transcendentalist philosophy. The essay emphasized the deep connection between humans and the natural world, suggesting that nature was a source of inspiration and a means to understand the divine. Ralph's assertion that "Nature always wears the colors of the spirit" encapsulates his belief in the symbiotic relationship between the human soul and the natural environment.
Ralph's influence extended beyond his writings. He was also a prolific lecturer known for his captivating oratory and his ability to engage with audiences across America. His lectures were a primary means of disseminating transcendentalist ideas and inspiring a generation of thinkers and writers, including Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and Walt Whitman. Ralph urged Americans to trust their abilities and to look within themselves for inspiration rather than relying on other national models.
Throughout his life, Ralph wrote numerous essays and poems that explored themes of self-reliance, individualism, and the interconnectedness of all things. His 1841 essay "Self-Reliance" notably advocates nonconformity and personal integrity. In it, Ralph famously declares, "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string," encouraging readers to rely on their inner convictions rather than societal expectations.
In his later years, Ralph continued to work, though his productivity waned due to health issues and the onset of dementia. He died on April 27, 1882, in Concord, Massachusetts.
Sources:
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. History, Self-reliance, Nature, Spiritual laws, The American scholar. Doubleday, Page & company, 1901. Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/02000012/>.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Nature. United States, James Munroe, 1836.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, -1882. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2003670025/>.
“Ralph Waldo Emerson.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Waldo_Emerson
Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Foundation, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ralph_Waldo_Emerson_cph.3b20760.jpg
While researching my current Lost & Found Story, Call Me a Bastard, I came across some great stuff on Emerson and his participation in the Saturday Club held at the Parker House in Boston. I've long been a fan of his work, having memorized Self Reliance the summer after HS, but he never came alive for me the way he did this round.