Ralph Waldo :: essays research papers fc

Introduction Ralph Waldo Emerson & amperequotwas truly one of our great geniuses&quot level though he may hold a short history (Hodgins 212). But as Emerson once said himself, &quotGreat geniuses have the shortest biographies.&quot Emerson was also a major leader of &quotthe philosophic movement of abstruseism&quot. (Encarta 1) Transcendentalism was belief in a higher reality than that found everyday life that a world can achieve. Biographical Information Emerson was born on May 25, 1803 in Boston, Massachusetts. His father died when he was young and his m other(a) was left with him and his four other siblings. At the age of 18 he graduated from Harvard University and was a teacher for three years in Boston. Then in 1825 he entered Harvard graven image School and preached for three years. At the age of 29 he resigned for ministry, part because of the death of his wife after only 17 months of marriage. In 1835 he married Lydia Jackson and started to lecture. Th en in 1836, he helped to start the Transcendental Club. The Transcendental Club was formed for authors that were part of this historical movement. Emerson was a wide part of this and practically initiated the entire club. As we know he was already a major part of the movement and know got himself involved more. many a(prenominal) people and ways of life throughout his career including Neoplatonism, the Hindu trust, Plato and even off his wife influenced Emerson. He also inspired many Transcendentalists like Thoreau. Emerson didnt win any major awards, moreover he did win the enjoy and appreciation of his readers. Literary Information Emerson wrote many genres of writing including poetry and sermons, but his best writing is found in his essays. Even though he is noted for his essays, he was also a strong force in poetry. Emerson was known for presenting ideas in an expressive style. He wrote nigh numerous issues including nature, society, conclave and freedom. After returning to America after a visit to England, he wrote for the abolitionist cause, which was eliminating slavery. Emerson used these ideas in his 1837 lecture &quotThe American Scholar,&quot which he presented before the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Harvard. In it he talked about Americans becoming more intelligently independent. In a second address, unremarkably referred to as the &quotAddress at Divinity College,&quot minded(p) in 1838 to the graduating class of Cambridge Divinity College, brought about a problem because it attacked religion and pushed independence.