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Ralph Waldo Emerson, 2004.
A biography of the life of Ralph Waldo Emerson as a Transcendentalist and also as an abolitionist.
1,036 words (approx. 4.1 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 36.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the life of Ralph Waldo Emerson, born in Boston, Mass., on May 25, 1803, a philosopher, essayist, and poet. It looks at how Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the Transcendentalists, a group of thinkers that also included Henry David Thoreau, who were interested in a spirituality that had little to do with formalized religion. It also explores how he was an abolitionist and how he held true to his beliefs, taking action individually to advance his ideas regarding the remaking of his world into one more in accord with what he saw as the natural state of man. That natural state, for Emerson, included culture, freedom of religion, and considerate treatment of others. It looks at how it was only natural that he would extend its reach beyond the Native American to the American slave and how he reconciled those activities with his belief in individuality by viewing the abolitionist movement as a group of individuals acting on their own at the same time to accomplish a greatly desired change in their world.
From the Paper
"Perhaps the least known of Emerson?s actions taken to change his world concerned abolitionism. As early as 1844, Emerson was commenting in public on the ?Emancipation of the Negroes in the British West Indies,? which historians say was a departure from his previous thoughts on abolition. But that summer, he refined his thoughts on the divisive issue, and in keeping with his belief that action must follow thought, he became an active abolitionist, setting forth his beliefs in the Emancipation address in Concord, Mass., on August 1, 1844. Biographer Len Gougeon, in his book Virtue?s Hero: Emerson, Antislavery and Reform, concluded that with that speech, Emerson ?made the transition from antislavery to abolition.? (Quoted by Earhart, 1999)"
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Ralph Waldo Emerson, 2006.
A discussion about the life of American author Ralph Waldo Emerson.
1,674 words (approx. 6.7 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 54.95
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Abstract
This paper takes a look at Ralph Waldo Emerson, an author living during an era known as The Romantic Age. This paper also investigates the events of his life, examines some of his ideas, and evaluates his status in and influence on American Literature.
From the Paper
"In Europe he visited many famous thinkers--Walter Savage Lando, Lafayette, John Stuart Mill, Coleridge, Wordsworth, and Thomas Carlyle. These people's ideas influenced his developing philosophy of Transcendentalism. His response to his wife's untimely death was to establish ideas and principles on which he would base his life, plus he developed a faculty for more acute mental discernment--more perspicacity--toward life. He proved that wisdom could be achieved through experience.
When Emerson returned in 1833, he began to give lectures. In those days, lectures were a form of social entertainment (there were no movies or TV), and he was paid well for giving them. Sometimes he still preached while he wrote new lectures and planned his first book. In 1834 he married Lydia Jackson and moved to Concord. His brother Edward died of TB the same year, but the following year his first son Waldo was born. By 1835, Emerson's unusual and overgenerous spirit was ready to be unleashed. He used his deep feelings, emotions, and thoughts to create truth the way he arrived at truth, within himself: "To believe your own idea, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius. Speak your latent belief and it shall be the universal sense; for at all times the inmost becomes the outmost and our first thought is rendered back to us by the trumpets of the last judgment."
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Ralph Waldo Emerson, 2004.
A discussion on how Ralph Waldo Emerson?s later ?Self-Reliance? is far more likely to be appealing to American college students today than his early ?American Scholar?.
730 words (approx. 2.9 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 26.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how Ralph Waldo Emerson?s transcendentalist philosophy shifted and changed over the course of his life. In particular, it looks at how Emerson?s ideas in his essays ?Self-Reliance? and ?The American Scholar? show profound shifts in judgment on what a human being and a thinker should aspire to be. It attempts to show that the Emerson that is most likely to be amenable to the sensibilities of college students today is likely to be that of his later essay upon ?Self-Reliance,? rather than his earlier ?The American Scholar,? which only manifests the later essay?s ideas in a half-formulated and a much more Christian-focused fashion.
From the Paper
"Today?s emphasis on postmodernism and the constant restructuring of one?s identity over the course of one?s educational existence makes the lack of consistency and the disdain for tradition expressed by Emerson in the earlier essay to be quite attractive to young college students. ?Else, to-morrow a stranger will say with masterly good sense precisely what we have thought and felt all the time, and we shall be forced to take with shame our own opinion from another,? writes Emerson, if we do not constantly reexamine our own opinions. Emerson?s overall philosophy, as expressed in this essay, is that rather than looking to past, European models of excellence and artistic expression, young Americans must create their own, new models that are not hemmed in by past ideals. To live is to constantly reinvent one?s self and life."
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Ralph Waldo Emerson and Jonathan, 2005.
A comparative analysis of life according to Ralph Waldo Emerson and Jonathan Edwards.
1,677 words (approx. 6.7 pages), 9 sources, MLA, $ 54.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses two great American thinkers: The nineteenth-century transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson and the eighteenth-century Puritan, Jonathan Edwards. The paper compares these two great thinkers, noting that Emerson's Romanticism era was based on the value of the individual and the beauty of the natural world, while Edwards' era focused on the Puritan idea of innate depravity and praise to God in heaven, and relates that this comparison thus illustrates how the mentalities of these scholars are profoundly dissimilar in several aspects. The paper then contrasts the philosophies of Edwards and Emerson by examining their views on man, spirituality and religion, and nature.
From the Paper
"The somewhat self-centered attitude portrayed in Emerson's work has led some to believe that he considers mankind as God's equal - as if the world, in Emerson's view, revolves around man's thoughts and feelings; however, Edwards' position is that human life is controlled and monitored by God Himself. In contrast to Emerson's idea of man being somewhat supreme beings whose ways are right if he believes them to be so, Edwards advocates the Puritan philosophy of innate depravity. In his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Edwards insists that mankind as a whole is sinful in nature and must obtain salvation from above in order to be at peace. "Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it," Edwards states, "he depends upon himself for his own security; he flatters himself in what he has done, in what he is now doing, or what he intends to do" (501). "
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Ralph Waldo Emerson, 2006.
This paper discusses the philosophy of Ralph Waldo Emerson as exemplified in his "Divinity School Address" and his poem "The World is Too Much With Us".
1,245 words (approx. 5.0 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 42.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that New England Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson believed in the power of nature so strongly that it influenced his thoughts on religion, self-reliance and the role of the scholar. The author points out that Emerson's belief in human nature determined his view that people must be individual and rely completely on their own understanding and truth; however, paradoxically, he also believed that nature makes everyone part of a universal being or truth. The paper concludes that Emerson was certain that human nature is perfect within all people and must be allowed to have a free voice unfettered by the opinions of societies, the restrictions of organized religion and the weight of scholarship.
From the Paper
"Emerson loved the beauty of nature and found the presence of the sublime when he contemplated the pure air and scenery. He frequently describes nature in terms that prove his delight. Comparisons to the sophisticated life of the city always show the superiority of the natural world in his writings. The most powerful aspect of nature is that it is not concerned with the past or the future, it is simply content to be what is in its nature. Emerson insisted that man should feel the same way."
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Ralph Waldo Emerson: Self-reliance and Nature, 1985.
This paper is a critical analysis of Ralph Waldo Emerson's essays on universe, society and individualism.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 3 sources, $ 47.95
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From the Paper
"To the modern student, Emerson comes through as a dogmatic, self-centered and rather unoriginal writer. It is only with closer reading that we begin to understand where his greatness lay.
Not for Emerson the "It appears that...," or "This would indicate...," or even the ultimate face-saver, "In my experience...." He writes each word not as if it were dictated by God, but rather that God himself is writing it. He is right. He knows he is right, and he refuses to be humble about it. He knows that since the truth of his statement came from his heart, then that truth resides in the hearts of all men and they thus must recognize it.
He is "readable" for us today because he avoided the hyperbole and rhetoric of most of contemporaries. He is not ... "
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The Influence of Heraclitus on Ralph Waldo Emerson, 2004.
An analysis of the various philosophies of Heraclitus and their appearance in Emerson's writings.
3,070 words (approx. 12.3 pages), 8 sources, MLA, $ 89.95
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Abstract
The ancient philosopher, Heraclitus, had many beliefs, including the harmony of opposites, the distrust of the senses, the cycle of the universe, the constant flux and underlying spirit unifying all things of the world, and the relation between men and infants. This paper examines how all these ideas are found in Ralph Waldo Emerson's various writings.
From the Paper
"The idea may seem simple but it shows the harmony throughout all parts of the earth, and that however different each part may be it is still necessary for all of the others. Heraclitus has a similar but less complicated view of the natural order of things, specifically that there are only three parts, fire, water, and earth. He believes that "As it is condensed, fire becomes moist, and then as it is further compressed it becomes water, and as water solidifies it turns into earth; this is the 'road downward'" and that "The Thunderbolt steers everything" (Waterfield 43;42). This could be explained if Heraclitus believed that lightning "rose up from the sea to the upper fire of the universe, rather than striking downwards" (Waterfield 35). Although inaccurate, his perceptions of the activities in the universe, the influence of his unique ideas about the natural workings of the world are evident in Emerson's writing."
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Ralph Waldo Ellison, 2002.
An analysis of the literary works of Ellison.
1,595 words (approx. 6.4 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 52.95
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Abstract
This paper describes the literary work of Ralph Waldo Ellison, an Afro-American author and intellectual named after Ralph Waldo Emerson. There is a particular focus throughout the paper on Ellison?s representations in the writing of the ?Invisible Man,? his most accomplished novel.
From the Paper
"Critics often place the ?Invisible Man? under the proverbial lines of a ?one hit wonder? for Ellison, obviously pertaining to a book rather than a song. Like a one hit wonder, this paper will show that Ellison?s work lives on in the literary discussions of today and on America?s bookshelves. The significance of Ellison?s work is discussed throughout this paper. Today, there are a vast number of topic groups and symposiums that revolve around the book and its meaning. "
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Emerson and Kerouac, 2002.
A paper which draws a parallel between two American writers, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Jean Louis Lebris de Kerouac (Jack).
2,414 words (approx. 9.7 pages), 15 sources, APA, $ 73.95
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Abstract
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Jean Louis Lebris de Kerouacwere both born near Boston, one hundred and twenty years apart. The paper shows however, that the similarities in their regard to literary history, as well as the connection between the two in regards to their lives and early writing, is sufficient enough to draw many parallels between them. It shows that both men, as writers and as citizens of America, felt compelled by their discontent and discouragement at the state of affairs in their country, to stake out new ground and develop a new relation to their society and the world at large.
From the Paper
"How does the Beat Generation and the America of the 1950?s compare with the social, political, and religious turmoil of the early America Emerson lived in? Both times in our country?s history were marked, to a large degree, by an unusual level of conformity. The youth generation?s reaction was to, not only fight against it, but to develop a completely alternate mode of consciousness with its own laws, its own set of values, and its own search for a ?new and original relation? to the universe. However, my argument is not to so much compare these two times in American history, but rather to show how the conditions of America in the 1950?s led to similar questions and similar quests among the youth generation. These questions and quests, when stripped down to a common denominator are essentially spiritual. ?By a generation,? wrote F.Scott Fitzgerald, ?I mean that reaction against fathers which seems to occur about three times a century. It is distinguished by a set ideas,[and] inherited in moderated form from the madmen and outlaws of the generation before.?1
For Kerouac, and other writers of the Beat Generation, the uncertainty, the provincialism, and social disintegration of Post World War II America, led to a feeling of shiftlessness, indifference, aversion to conformity, and the need to extract all that life had to offer. The green lawns and white picket fences of Middle Class America, the sense of security many people looked for in the aftermath of World War II, held no allure to Jack and his friends. Norman Mailer?s essay ?The White Negro? describes the Beat Generation as characterized by a quest ?to explore that domain of experience where security is boredom and therefore sickness.?2"
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Franklin and Emerson, 2001.
Compares the similarities between Benjamin Franklin's "Way to Wealth" and Ralph Waldo Emerson's "On Self Reliance".
1,160 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 0 sources, MLA, $ 39.95
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Abstract
This paper offers a complete analysis of Benjamin Franklin's "Way to Wealth" and Ralph Waldo Emerson's "On Self Reliance" and compares the similar messages they conveyed about wealth, even though the authors were separated by a century in time. Each author, in his attempt to redefine the meaning of wealth, chose to shun religious autonomy in favor of a greater emphasis on the individual.
From the Paper
"With the birth of the first truly American generation, i.e. those having been born the New World, came a revolution in thought and ideology. Men no longer allowed their pursuit of happiness to be dictated by the callous sermons and chastising admonitions of Puritan stalwarts, namely Winthrop and Edwards. Passionate writers began to shun religious autonomy in favor of the self, challenging the status quo, and dawning the American spirit. Perhaps the most prominent of these writers were Benjamin Franklin and Ralph Waldo Emerson who, despite being separated by nearly a century in time and the Revolutionary War, conveyed comparable messages. Franklin?s ?The Way to Wealth? and Emerson?s ?Self-Reliance? each succeed in modernizing the definition of wealth in the mind of the American by focusing on the individual, re-defining the role of the religion, and creating New World virtues which reverberate into my generation."
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Nature and Emerson and Dickinson, 2002.
This paper discusses the complex relationship between Emily Dickinson's and Ralph Waldo Emerson's ideas on nature as reflected in their poetry.
5,175 words (approx. 20.7 pages), 10 sources, MLA, $ 129.95
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Abstract
This author believes that despite Ralph Waldo Emerson's great influence on Emily Dickinson and the similarity of their conceptions of the poet's role, she goes beyond his light-filled, hopeful conception of the relationship between humanity and nature. This paper discusses Emerson's serene conception of nature in which transcendence resides in the relationship between humanity and deity. This paper analyzes several of Dickinson's poems to demonstrate that she was far more skeptical and believed that, no matter how deeply and carefully one might read into nature, it retains its mystery.
From the Paper
"In "The Rhodora," as Tuerk points out, the speaker's encounter with the flower "immediately results not from his own volition but in response to the sea-winds' piercing" of his solitude (6). The human being, the speaker, is shown at once to be fully entwined with the physical world and apart from it only by virtue of his perceptive and reflective capabilities. Therefore, human activities and the unmotivated natural forces are shown to intermingle. The 'force' of the wind that drives him is equaled, however, by the mere sight of the rhodora and beauty is shown to operate, therefore, as a force with a power perhaps even greater than anything merely physical in nature. The flower is then described in terms of its interaction with its surroundings--spreading, pleasing, dropping its petals, blackening the water, and being courted by the bird that might be attracted by it. This array of beautiful sights draws the speaker's attention in much the same way that it might eventually attract the imaginary bird."
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Emerson, 2003.
An analysis of the ideals of Ralph Waldo Emerson.
920 words (approx. 3.7 pages), 4 sources, APA, $ 31.95
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This paper studies the ideas and principles of New England transcendentalism, by focusing on the writer and thinker, Ralph Waldo Emerson. The paper argues that transcendentalism might be needed more in contemporary society than it was in Emerson's time.
From the Paper
"New England transcendentalism arose in reaction to the dehumanization and materialistic focus manifested by the Industrial Revolution. Chief among its proponents of radical thinkers and writers was Ralph Waldo Emerson..."
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Emerson and Thoreau, 2002.
Compares Ralph Waldo Emerson?s ?Self-Reliance? and Henry David Thoreau?s ?Civil Disobedience.?
1,191 words (approx. 4.8 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 40.95
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Abstract
When one thinks of the American writers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, one immediately thinks of personal liberties and freedoms, civil and environmental responsibility and, above all, non-conformity. By comparing the "Self-Reliance" by Emerson and "Civil Disobedience" by Thoreau, the paper shows how these issues are reflected in the works of these two writers.
From the Paper
"Thoreau believed each individual should let it be ?known what kind of government would command his respect and that will be one step toward obtaining it? (Thoreau pg). The government, he felt, valued men, not as creative individuals, but as mere commodities. Like Emerson, Thoreau observed that society rewards those who give themselves partially to good works, calling them benefactors and philanthropists, yet the man who ?gives himself entirely to his fellow-men appears to them useless and selfish? (Thoreau pg).
Emerson believed that each individual should seek peace by looking within and being true to one?s soul. Thoreau believed that man should go one step further by voicing openly his disdain for injustice and intolerance."
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Concept Of Nature In Dickinson And Emerson, 2002.
Analysis of poet Emily Dickinson's view of nature & Ralph Waldo Emerson's ideas on nature.
4,275 words (approx. 17.1 pages), 10 sources, $ 135.95
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Analysis of poet Emily Dickinson's view of nature & Ralph Waldo Emerson's ideas on nature. Emerson's transcendental notion of the unity of nature, humanity and God. Dickinson's image of nature as antagonistic and mysterious. Discusses several poems by Dickinson. Emerson's conception of nature & the poet's role in understanding nature.
From the Paper
The relationship between Emily Dickinson's poetry and Ralph Waldo Emerson's ideas on nature and the poet's function is very complex. Despite Emerson's great influence on the poet and the similarity of their conceptions of the poet's role early in Dickinson's career she was eventually to go beyond his light-filled, hopeful conception of the relationship between humanity and nature in her concentration on the questions of loss and death that cast not just human existence but all of nature in a wholly different light. Dickinson did, of course, write many poems that reflected Emerson's Transcendental notion of the unity of humanity, nature, and god. But Emerson's was ultimately a serene conception in which the means of transcendence resided in that relationship among the aspects of creation--nature mediated, he believed, between humanity and deity. Even though Emerson
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Emerson, Dickinson, Whitman: Pathways to Discovery, 2005.
A comparison of the ideas of Ralph Waldo Emerson and the poetry of Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman.
2,708 words (approx. 10.8 pages), 9 sources, MLA, $ 81.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how Ralph Waldo Emerson's association with the transcendental movement can be linked to the ideas he expressed in his essay, "Nature," where he emphasizes being true to oneself, individuality, and nonconformity. Emerson also explains his ideas regarding the soul and its connection with nature and God. It looks at how two poets whose work reflects this type of thinking are Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman and how these writers discover a path to self, soul, and identity through their experiences, ideas that can be traced to Emerson's writings.
From the Paper
"In his essay, "Nature" Ralph Waldo Emerson urges man to think independently. He opens his essay with by advancing the idea that that we consider for ourselves a "philosophy of insight and not of tradition" (Emerson 994). With this idea, he builds upon the theory that much of life is still left to be discovered, we must only be open to it and connect with it. The wide universe, according to Emerson, is composed of "nature and the soul" (994). Emerson held a profound respect for nature and its beauty. He states that when he is in the presence of nature, he "become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God" (996). Here we see how Emerson attempts to focus on nature as it manifests itself through his senses."
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