Emerson: A Man of Hope or a Man of Genius

Paper Summary:

This paper explores Ralph Waldo Emerson's quote " Man hopes. Genius creates" from his speech "The American Scholar". The paper references both "The American Scholar" and "Self-Reliance" and uses various excerpts of Emerson's writing to portray him both as a genius as well as a man of hope. The paper also discusses a very interesting and thought provoking paradox within Emerson's philosophy.

From the Paper:

"The American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson states in his speech "The American Scholar" that "Man hopes. Genius Creates." (Emerson, 517) In these four words, Emerson defines the common quality of a man is to hope while the genius takes action and creates. Emerson himself is an amalgamation of a genius and a man. He demonstrates both of these qualities in his essay entitled "Self-Reliance" as well as in "The American Scholar." Both dissertations contain in them moments of creative genius and moments of mere hope. The action of hoping, however, is an essential and initial phase of genius. Hope is a precursor to genius. Genius is achieving a solution and acting upon it."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "The American Scholar." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Julia Reidhead. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2003. 514-526.
• Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Self-Reliance." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Julia Reidhead. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2003. 539-556.

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