Category: Ralph Waldo Emerson

Introduction: The Multifaceted Genius of Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson was born on May 25, 1803 and died on April 27, 1882. Emerson was a respected poet and philosopher. He began his studies at Harvard when he was 14 years old and graduated when he was 18. Emerson voiced his opinion on many topics ranging from religion to slavery. He was a complex writer who used different styles to express his visions. He was well known for his transcendentalist beliefs regarding nonconformity, self reliance, free thought, confidence, and the importance of nature.

Emerson’s Unique Writing Style: A Journey Through His Journals

Emerson’s style of writing is unique (Mullin 570). He put together his journal entries to create writings and lectures that had elaborating character (Mullin 570). His essays were centered on a theme but contained many variations of the central theme (Mullin 570). Emerson had a way of writing his essays in an insightful manner to the reader but also revealed themselves differently to different readers (Mullin 570). “Emerson works this way: he offers an insight from his own reflection or contemplation, he tries saying it one way then another – drawing on the various guises under which he has recorded the truth in his journal” (Mullin 570-571). Emerson writes in this way to instill a sense of ownership in the reader over the ideas he or she encounters (Mullin 571). Emerson returns to previous points throughout his essays to reveal them fully to the reader (Mullin 571).

The Evolution of Emerson’s Ideological Stance

Emerson’s earlier works are characterized as optimistic (Berger). In his early career, he wrote mainly in the “optative mood” (Berger). Later in his career he turned towards political radicalism (Berger). The political radicalism shown by Emerson in the 1850s is the result of an emphasis on the relationship between the individual and cosmic power (Berger). “I suggest that these two Emersons share the same conceptual horizon–that the disengaged transcendental eyeball Emerson peddling visions of the Oversoul and the gun-toting, bloodlusting Emerson collecting donations for John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry evince an important and unacknowledged structural continuity” (Berger). These differences in style can be examined in Emerson’s “The Lord’s Supper” and “Fate” (Berger).

Transcendentalism and Gothic Elements: A Dual Approach

Although most of Emerson’s works were written in an optimistic tone, he also engaged in the gothic (Richards). “Although typically recognized for his Transcendental idealism, Ralph Waldo Emerson was also deeply engaged with the Gothic, a literary mode that prior to the Civil War ran parallel to Transcendentalism but is rarely used in the same breath with Emerson, or any other Transcendentalist for that matter” (Richards). Gothic and transcendentalism are contrasting viewpoints, however, Emerson is able to use gothic elements to enhance his writings (Richards). In his early poems, Emerson shows himself to be fascinated by death (Richards). His gothic style lays the groundwork for his transition into transcendentalism (Richards). “The Emerson who haunted Ellen’s tomb was not yet a Transcendentalist; he was, instead, captive to the Gothic condition” (Richards). While not considered a gothic writer, Emerson used the gothic to express his views and beliefs. “Gothic power was something Emerson necessarily engaged with, worked against, and used to launch his vision” (Richards).

Emerson’s View on Nature and Individualism

In Emerson’s essay “Nature”, he begins to show his appreciation for the natural world (Warren 208). Later in the essay, it is revealed that the work is not solely an appreciation of nature, but a “glorification of the individual man” (Warren 208). Emerson stresses that individuals should not view themselves as an aspect of nature because it will force them to see themselves as insignificant in the world (Warren 208). Warren claims, “Emerson says, man should see nature as a reflection of himself” (208). Emerson’s view of man being the center of the universe and being dominant over nature is supported by his published essays (Warren 208).

Emerson was well known for his transcendentalism. Although he used this ideology in many of his essays and writings including “Nature,” he could never perfect the definition of what transcendentalism really meant (McKusick 229). The term was formerly used by Samuel Coleridge and Thomas Carlyle who morphed it to fit their own personal beliefs (McKusick 229). By the time Emerson adopted the ideology, it was drastically changed from the original form of transcendentalism (McKusick 229). “In Emerson’s various attempts to define transcendentalism, it often sounds more like a choice of lifestyle than a well-defined ideology” (McKusick 229). Emerson was one of many transcendentalists who each had their own idea of what the term meant (McKusick 229).

“There was only one thought that could set him aflame, and that was the unfathomed might of man” (Goodman 26). Emerson’s transcendentalism disclosed the possibilities and capabilities of man (Goodman 27). He claims that we are not fully aware of our powers and capabilities (Goodman 27). To emerson, the world is ductile and flexible to the will of man (Goodman 27). Warren supports this by stating that Emerson saw man as a dominant force over nature (208).

Emerson believed in a philosophy where man trusts himself over societal constructs and tradition (Warren 208). “Emerson says that he can accept only what is in accord with himself. Other people, other traditions, however wise, can serve only to stimulate his own thinking; they can teach him nothing” (Warren 208). Emerson would rather follow the laws of his individual nature than the laws set in place by society (Warren 208). Emerson claims that the ideal man is strong and self reliant and that all men have the potential to be great (Warren 209). Emerson regards relationships with other people as unimportant (Warren 209). The only use of other people or their ideas is the absorbance into one’s own knowledge (Warren 209).

In his works such as “Lecture on the Times,” “The Transcendentalist,” and “Culture,” Emerson stresses the unimportance of others (Warren 209). “In all of his essays and lectures Emerson never treats other people as though they had any value in their own right” (Warren 209). People are only important in the sense that they can inspire the individual to perform (Warren 209). Emerson holds his position even when it comes to close relatives (Warren 209). Emerson has no sympathy for the sensibilities of others, even if his actions hurt his friends (Warren 209). “Beside the infinite, all finite objects seem unimportant” (Warren 210). Emerson justifies his position that everything only has value in regards to the self by clarifying the importance of seeing oneself in nature (Warren 210). Being a part of the Universal Being means that others should not dictate how we behave (Warren 210). Emerson states that worldly relationships have no importance compared to the relationship we have with higher things (Warren 210).

Religion Through Emerson’s Lens: A Break from Tradition

Emerson did not believe in a formalized religion (Hurth 4). He believed in individual interpretations of religion that revolved around human nature (Hurth 4). Emerson spoke of religion in his writings. He believed religion should not be institutionalized (Berger). In his works such as “Nature” he speaks of how we can grow closer to God through nature (Berger). He writes about the religious feeling and how it is unable to be standardized (Berger). The authority of scripture was irrelevant to him (Hurth 4). “He realized that if one could ground the belief in the existence of god in immediate experience, all appeals to external authority in religious matters would be rendered superfluous” (Hurth 4). The internal relationship of oneself to god and the testimonies of the heart are the important evidences of religion according to Emerson (Hurth 4).

In Emerson’s “Divinity School Address” he encourages the abandonment of formalized religion (Goodman 18). The appropriated and formal teachings that describe Christ to American and European children strays from the values that Christ embodies such as a noble heart (Goodman 18). Emerson stresses the humanity of Christ over his divinity in his writings (Goodman 27). “Emerson’s shocking moral is that we should try not to imitate Christ but to achieve our own original spiritual relationship to the universe” (Goodman 18). Emersons unorthodox views of religion and Christ show his belief that man’s knowledge confides in oneself (Goodman 18). His consistent philosophy of self-reliance translate to his religious beliefs (Goodman 18).

Emerson’s writings exhibit a sense of liberalism, however, they differentiate from the classic liberalism of his time (Larson). “Indeed, the general assumption that liberalism engages the main preoccupations of Emerson’s thought is implausible. It leads to wishful appropriations of his texts and generates pointless disputes about his radicalism”(Larson). During the Antebellum period in America, liberalism was used to describe religious views rather than political views (Larson). Emerson’s approach to religion would be considered liberal for the time, but not politically liberal (Larson).

“Emerson was schooled in what historians today call ‘republicanism’” (Malachuk 404). He was taught three forms of modern republicanism: classical, liberal, and cosmic (Malachuk 405). He used aspects of these philosophies to create his own republican philosophy of self-reliance (Malachuk 405). Emerson immersed himself in both classical and liberal republicanism in terms of commerce (Malachuk 408). Both of these forms or republicanism agreed that the greatest threat to a republic is corruption and a person’s loss of intellectual independence (Malachuk 409).

Liberal and classical republicans differed in their views of how a republic is best nurtured and cultivated (Malachuk 209). Classical republicans saw a strict system with an agrarian economy as a means to political stability (Malachuk 209). Liberal republicans, on the other hand, believed a commercial economy would liberate a citizen’s mind and encourage him to engage in his civic duties (Malachuk 209). Emerson strayed from classical republicanism as he viewed commerce not as a corruption to virtue, but as its “handmaiden” (Malachuk 409). Although Emerson favored a more liberal form of republicanism he was not politically liberal (Larson). An example of Emerson’s lack of political liberalism is his failure to see women as individuals in relation to himself (Warren 210).

Emerson viewed women as abstractions rather than individuals (Warren 210). “Even in his own marriages, Emerson tended to think of his wife more as an abstraction than as a real person” (Warren 210). Although Emerson’s wife allowed him to experience the emotions he felt he lacked as a youth and viewed her as an “angel,” he still believed that women were incapable of self-reliance (Warren 210). He viewed women as the emotional counterpart to man’s intellect (Warren 210). “Not only does Emerson maintain that women have weak wills and are capricious and unstable, but he equates femininity with defectiveness” (Warren 210). Emerson argues that his philosophy of self-reliance does not apply to women, but enables man to take better care of women (Warren 212).

How did Emerson reconcile his attitude toward women with his support of the women’s rights movement? Apparently, he was able to support the call for the vote and concede political and civil wrongs, but he could not bring himself to advocate rights that would take woman out of the home or give her autonomy as a human being. His comments reveal a fundamental inability to an see woman except in her relation to man. In 1850 he wrote to Paulina W. Davis, who had asked him to take part in a convention: “I should not wish women to wish political functions, nor, if granted, assume them.” Indicating that a woman is to be judged by how faithfully she lives up to a man’s concept of her, he continued: “I imagine that a woman whom all men would feel to be the best would decline such privileges if offered, and feel them to be rather obstacles to her legitimate influence.” A woman’s “legitimate influence,” apparently, was the use of her feminine qualities to obtain what she wanted. Writing in his journal in 1851, he observed apropos of a women’s rights convention held in Worcester that the real solution would be for all women to be healthy and beautiful. Then they would have no need to fight for their rights because all men would do their bidding. “A sound and beautiful woman,” a Venus, he said, magnetizes men. (Warren 212)

Emerson denies the individuality of woman and reinstates a common belief of the time, women are not equal to men (Warren 212). He sees no reason for women to attain political power because if they are attractive to men, then men will give them everything they need (Warren 212).

In the year 1844, Emerson took a strong stance on the abolition of slavery (Earhart). Emerson believed that all men, including slaves, were entitled their individualism (Earhart). In his speeches on abolition, individualism is stressed over association (Earhart). Emerson considered himself a representative man rather than an abolitionist (Earhart). “By fashioning himself as such a representative man he connects his desire to ‘agitate’ with a fatalistic sense of being chosen. And it is important to remember that the representative man is one who is never whole but always fragmentary” (Earhart). Emerson views himself as a “powerful and stimulating intellect, a man of great heart and mind” when he takes on the persona of the representative man (Earhart).

Emerson feels inspired as a representative man to call others to action (Earhart). “The power of moving an audience, as Emerson’s 1844 journal reveals, became increasingly attractive during the preparation of the address. He proclaims, ‘When I address a large assembly, as last Wednesday, I am always apprised what an opportunity is there: not for reading to them as I do, lively miscellanies, but for painting in fire my thought, & being agitated to agitate’’ (Earhart). Emerson realizes the power he possesses to excite an audience (Earhart). Inspiring an audience becomes a desire of Emerson’s for the first time in his career (Earhart).

Throughout Emersons career, he is able to cover a vast amount of topics in the politics of his time. His styles and expressions changed as he grew older, but his philosophy remained consistent. Ideas such as Transcendentalism, self reliance, and non-conformist religion inspired his writings and showed themselves in almost all of his works. Emerson’s ideologies and philosophical thoughts are timeless and can be applied to many situations today.

Introduction to Emerson’s Convictions

“Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.” This quote is towards the beginning of Emerson’s “Self-Reliance,” and it is the basis of Emerson’s convictions. “Trust thyself,” begins the quotation. The semicolon separates this idiom from the rest of the quote, because it has the power to stand alone. Emerson believed that to rely on others is cowardly, so to trust ourselves is what we can rely on. “Every heart vibrates to that iron string,” he continues, presumptuously speaking for “every heart.” Throughout his writing, Emerson speaks with bold conviction, believing everyone should follow his teachings. He finishes this quotation with “iron string,” giving the reader the feeling of permanence. An “iron string” is holding; it is not frail or meager. Again, Emerson’s bold convictions speak here as he tells the reader that if they trust themselves, it will be everlasting. Although the term is truly multifaceted, trusting oneself is the basis of Emerson’s self-reliance. In this essay, I seek to define the concepts that Emerson bases self-reliance on, in order to achieve a true understanding of this complex term.

The Importance of Individual Ideas and Intuition

In the beginning of the essay, Emerson begins with emphasizing the importance of our own ideas versus accepting others ideas. “I read some verses written by an eminent painter the other day, which were original and not conventional. The soul always hears an admonition in such lines, let the subject be what it may. The sentiment they instil is of more value than any thought they may contain. 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 asserts that we must trust in our own ideas and experiences, and abandon the knowledge gained from books. We must trust in our own intuition rather than relying on other opinions, in order to be truly self-reliant. Emerson claims individualism is a courageous act, however, he believes that those who do not follow it simply lack the originality and creativity in order to do so. Specifically, those who only follow the written word of others believe that new ideas will be sparked by reading what has already been thought. Therefore, Emerson asserts that there will be only acceptance and reiteration of the same ideas, not with any original thought added. Thus, in order to have true self-reliance one must trust themselves, but secondly, trust their own convictions and ideas without relying on the intelligence of other people.

The healthy attitude of human nature is the nonchalance of boys who are sure of a dinner, and would disdain as much as a lord to do or say aught to conciliate one. A boy is in the parlour what the pit is in the playhouse; independent, irresponsible, looking out from his corner on such people and facts as pass by, he tries and sentences them on their merits, in the swift, summary way of boys, as good, bad, interesting, silly, eloquent, troublesome. He cumbers himself never about consequences, about interests: he gives an independent, genuine verdict. You must court him: he doesn’t court you. But the man is, as it were, clapped into jail by his consciousness. As soon as he had once acted or spoken with eclat, he is a committed person, watched by the sympathy or the hatred of hundreds, whose affections must now enter into his account.

Characterizing Self-Reliance Through the Image of a Child

He characterizes the self-reliant individual as a young boy. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, Emerson points out the deep sexism of gender roles, and how the boy is often free of harsh societal expectations. Thus, he is independent, unreliant, strong, carefree. Boys do not need to worry about dinner, it is a woman’s job to prepare the food. He is allowed to pass judgement on any stranger who passes. He does not worry about consequences; he is able to freely give opinions. He does not have to ask of things, ‘you’ must ask him. Emerson tells the reader that one of the facets in order to be self-reliant is to be like the boy: independent, unreliant, strong, carefree. However, this analogy does not stop at the unlimited ability that boys are entitled to. Emerson continues, “but the man is, as it were, clapped into jail by his consciousness,” so the reader compares adults and children. A child, particularly an underdeveloped boy, does not show caution. They are not old enough to understand consequences, and more importantly, they are not old enough to care about social norms. A child does not concern themselves with adult concepts like reputation, image, approval, or opinions of others. Thus, the only way to achieve true self-reliance is to let go of these concerns. Self-reliance is only concerned with being genuine, original, and wholly oneself.

Resisting Conformity and the Critique of the Church

I remember an answer which when quite young I was prompted to make a valued adviser, who was wont to importune me with the dear old doctrines of the church. On my saying, What have I to do with the sacredness of traditions, if I live wholly from within? my friend suggested, — ‘But these impulses may be from below, not from above.’ I replied, ‘They do not seem to me to be such; but if I am the Devil’s child, I will live then from the Devil.’ No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature. Good and bad are but names very readily transferable to that or this; the only right is what is after my constitution, the only wrong what is against it. A man is to carry himself in the presence of all opposition, as if everything were titular and ephemeral but he. I am ashamed to think how easily we capitulate to badges and names, to large societies and dead institutions.

In this quotation, Emerson brazenly dismisses the concept that following one’s inner voice might be wrong because it might be swayed by the Devil. It is a curious statement to make considering the writer’s former occupation as a minister, and as a frequent writer of nature in its relation to religion. He continues, “No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature… the only right is what is after my constitution, the only wrong what is against it.” By this, Emerson infers that it is better to be of an evil nature than to follow society’s demands and expectations. This is truly an extreme view on self-reliance. We must consider this aspect in its definition, that self-reliance is fundamentally more important than the concepts of good versus evil.

Another aspect of the church that Emerson disagrees with is its fear of individual creativity, “Everywhere I am hindered of meeting God in my brother because he has shut his own temple doors, and recites fables merely of his brother’s, or his brother’s brother’s God.’ Although technically anyone can have their own ideas on religion, organized religion in the setting of church often encourages the minister’s own ideas rather than encouraging new ones. Again, Emerson reminds us that to understand his definition of self-reliance, we must understand originality’s importance.

The Role of Travel and Culture in Self-Reliance

At the end of his essay, Emerson focuses on specific areas where individuals are needed, like in culture and the arts. In order to be self-reliant, we must appreciate our own home and develop our own culture. Emerson has a cynical view of traveling and seeking experiences away from home, because “travelling is a fool’s paradise.” Emerson’s definition of this idiom is, “a state of enjoyment based on false beliefs or hopes; a state of illusory happiness.” Emerson calls the need for traveling a symptom of the failed school system. We disillusion ourselves into believing we need to travel to experience other people’s work rather than create that work ourselves. He later reference the image of a child that was seen earlier, “He who travels to be amused, or to get somewhat which he does not carry, travels away from himself, and grows old even in youth among old things. In Thebes, Palmyra, his will and mind have become as old and dilapidated. He carries ruins to ruins.” In this quotation, Emerson is distinguishing the self-reliant individual from the reliant individual, by using the image of the child. He reminds us that the self-reliant individual is a youth; he is child-like, original, despite everyone around him. The reliant individual travels for the wrong reasons, and creates nothing new; hence, the reliant individual is ‘old,’ ‘dilapidated,’ and ‘in ruins.’ Emerson reminds us that despite the illusion of travel, we need not be fooled. If we do not follow the definition of self-reliance and if we get lost in the illusion, we are ruined.

Conclusion: The Essence of Self-Reliance

Emerson ends his essay by coming full circle in his thoughts: to be self-reliant, one must depend solely on oneself. The last paragraph describes Fortune, and how one can believe that it can be favorable, “A political victory, a rise of rents, the recovery of your sick, or the return of your absent friend, or some other favorable event, raises your spirits, and you think good days are preparing for you.” However, he encourages the reader, “do not believe it.” Emerson believes that no external event will have the power to change how we feel about ourselves. He ends on a hopeful note, “Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.” No matter what happens, the regard that one has for themselves is entirely dependent on them, and that is true self-reliance.

Throughout this essay, I sought to define self-reliance in its many multifaceted ways. One of the main aspects to this essay and many others, is that Emerson calls for us to abandon our beliefs and principles. Throughout “Self-Reliance,” he does this on multiple occasions. However, Emerson ascertains that what we are left with is… ourselves. In order to be self-reliant, the foundational step is to first “trust thyself.” Emerson calls for us to abandon all of our previous beliefs and understandings, except for that one because it is the core belief. Without it, we are lost.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American Transcendentalist poet and essayist during the 19th century who wrote his best essay titled “Self-Reliance.” The purpose of Emerson’s essay was to encourage his readers to think freely. He argued that societal standards have a conflicting effect on an individual’s personal growth and individuality, and states that self-sufficiency allows the individual to determine their own opinions and ideas instead of allowing outside influences direct their thoughts and actions. Emerson was ahead of his time in the aspect of thinking more rationally than most during this time period, which is why he founded transcendentalism. His essay conveys an inspirational yet informative approach to individuality through many rhetorical strategies that help Emerson connect to his audience.

At the beginning of his essay, Emerson states, “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.” Using the application of logos, Emerson appeals to the readers by suggesting that each individual has the same trust of acknowledgment, when in reality we must believe and acknowledge ourselves to begin with. He states that it is cowardly of a person to only rely on others’ judgement, and that a person with self-esteem exhibits more originality. He connects this with being child-like. I believe this is a misinterpreted part of the essay because although he is comparing being self-confident with being child-like, he is saying that children have a tendency to act with self-reliant behavior because they are too young to realize or care what other people think. Emerson empowers the reader to create themselves through trust without letting the fear of disapproval morph the way they think or act. In the event that each person trusts themselves enough to find self-acceptance and stability, they are competent enough of overcoming the internal doubts they hold themselves accountable for.

Emerson remains in a motivational tone as he states, “The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried.” Emerson doesn’t want his readers to feel like they are incapable because he believes that everyone can accomplish something. As he connects to the reader in an emotional way, he makes them feel secure and confident in wanting to branch out. Emerson continues to use repetition to place the idea that everything happens for a reason. Which is something I truly believe in. Everything in our lives happens for a reason. He uses short events to create one big idea that everywhere we go, we are majorly influenced. Another thing Emerson mentions is “the sculpture in the memory” which is a metaphor for the underlying idea that all of our life experiences shape us into the person we are today. He implies that without looking into the past we can not “sculpt” the way we are in the present moment. Emerson continues to use the strategy of pathos to emotionally connect to his reader in order to remind them that they are in control and can shape their own future.

Another aspect of Emerson’s essay is how he mentions consistency. He states that “a reverence for our past act or word, because the eyes of others have no other data for computing our orbit than our past acts, and we are loath to disappoint them.” Emerson implies that consistency is an enemy of independence in the sense that people are too scared to act or think differently in fear of contradicting their previous beliefs or actions. He states that being obsessed with consistency drains energy from the act of living essentially because people are too busy thinking about their next move too often to just do it. Emerson uses the metaphor “corpse of your memory” as he explains why contradicting what you did or said before shouldn’t matter because what you say today is in the present. Society’s disapproval and scorn has put an underlying fear in people which restrains them from independence and growth. Emerson uses pathos again to connect to his readers in order to let his idea sink in. He states, “Speak what you think now in hard words, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict everything you said to-day. — ‘Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.’ — Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.” Emerson states that successful and well-known persons are inconsistent and were perceived as “misunderstood” in order to create credibility. This persuades the reader to believe that if inconsistent people like that can create such a large impact, then why can’t they?

Later on, Emerson uses a simple style to convey simple ideas. He says, “A man is relieved and gay when he has but his heart into his work and done his best.” This statement is useful in the fact that this is a clear and easy concept to grasp. If you simply do your best, then you will experience true happiness. Once again, Emerson uses pathos to affirm the audience that if they simply do their best and put their heart into everything they do, they will be happy. The next idea contradicts happiness and portrays a feeling of distress. Emerson says that you will never find peace if you do not put your all into what you do. This warns the reader of the negative emotions they could potentially experience without being completely motivated in all that they set their hearts on.

Emerson presently proposes a transformative improvement of human advancement, tantamount to the improvement of an individual from youth to adulthood. The present age — the primary portion of the 1800s — is a time of analysis, particularly self-analysis. Albeit a few people see such analysis as a mediocre way of thinking, Emerson accepts that it is legitimate and significant. Starting a progression of inquiries, he solicits whether discontent with the quality from current idea and writing is such an awful thing; he answers that it isn’t. Disappointment, he says, denotes a transitional time of development and advancement into new learning: ‘If there is any period one would want to be conceived in,is it not the time of Revolution; when the old and the new stand one next to the other, and concede to being looked at; . . . This [present] time, similar to all occasions, is a generally excellent one, on the off chance that we however recognize how to manage it.’

Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” essay is very inspirational and influential to whoever may read it.. He teaches the importance of individualism and how it affects our daily lives imensefully. Throughout the essay, Emerson uses pathos, repetition, motivating diction, and metaphors effectively in order to portray the underlying beauty in just being yourself.. Emerson wants the world to be unique and diverse, and effectively explains how to do just that throughout his powerful essay. This essay has truly put hope into many lives

Works Cited

1. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Self-Reliance (1841).” Self Reliance, 1996, doi:10.4159/9780674286290-009.

“I give you joy of your free and brave thought. I have great joy in it. I find incomparable things said incomparably well, as they must be. I find the courage of treatment which so delights us, and which large perception only can inspire. I greet you at the beginning of a great career, which yet must have had a long foreground somewhere, for such a start. I rubbed my eyes a little, to see if this sunbeam were no illusion; but the solid sense of the book is a sober certainty. It has the best merits, namely, of fortifying and encouraging” (Emerson, 307). The first edition of ‘Leaves of Grass’ in July 1855 was sent to Ralph Waldo Emerson by the young poet, essayist, humanist, and critic Walt Whitman. Emerson in his letter to Whitman admired, praised, and exhilarate this work as a fantastic and important work of American literature. Since then, Whitman used these sentences as an appendix in his preface of various editions of ‘Leaves of Grass’. Ostensibly, the founder of American transcendentalism, Ralph Waldo Emerson, had a remarkable influence on Whitman’s life and literary works. Echoes of Emerson’s ideologies and views are apparent in Whitman’s works of literature, especially the notion of transcendentalism, which Whitman by revising used to write ‘Leaves of Grass’. One of the highly celebrated poems of this collection is ‘Song of Myself’, which briefly displays transcendentalism. This paper aims to study Emersonian transcendentalism in Walt Whitman’s ‘Song of Myself’.

Transcendentalism as Literary, social, philosophical, and religious movement emerged in Concord and Boston in the mid-19th century in New England. It opposed the Lockean philosophy of empiricism by underscoring the supremacy of insight over logic. The origins of transcendentalism are rooted in Plato’s theory of forms in the Hellenistic period. Also, the foundation of transcendental ideas lies in the German philosophy of Immanuel Kant. The chief founders of American transcendentalism are Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and Amos Bronson Alcott. Like romantics in England, American transcendentalists highly celebrated the beauties of nature, individualism, and self-examination. They also believed that “the essential nature of human beings is good . . . and human beings would seek the good. [But] society is to blame for the corruption that mankind endures” (Yeganeh, 4). Furthermore, transcendental ideas include equality, rejection of institutional religions, independency of mankind, and correspondence between macrocosm and microcosm. Shcherbak and Gerus declared that “American transcendentalism was considered as a full-fledged representative of a harmonious and dynamic cosmic principle” (107).

Ralph Waldo Emerson, the AmericEssayist, writer, and poet is liable for the initiation of American transcendentalism. It has been acknowledged that during 1830s-decade Emerson’s manifestos ‘Nature’, ‘The American Scholar’, and ‘The Divinity School Address’ formed a group that became known as transcendentalists. Emerson also wrote a couple of other essays such as ‘The Poet’, ‘Self-Reliance’, and ‘The Over Soul’. As a human being, he was a member anti-slavery movement and a real abolitionist. Emerson was a follower of Plato, as Robert Richardson in ‘Emerson: The Mind on Fire’ stated: “Emerson’s interest in Plato would become a major preoccupation. Plato was the single most important source of Emerson’s lifelong conviction that ideas are real because they are the forms and laws that underlie, precede, and explain appearances” (97). Emersonian transcendentalism has possessed some characteristics such as the use of nature, independent thinking, self-reliance, and self-efficiency. Furthermore, the attitude toward nature of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the prominent German poet and critic, inspired Emerson, especially in his early work ‘Nature’, in which Emerson writes about nature according to Goethe’s declaration “All is in each . . . that every natural form to the smallest, a leaf, a sunbeam, a moment of time, a drop, is related to the whole, and partakes of the beauty of the whole” (Dolan, 64).

One of the most eminent aspects of Emersonian transcendentalism in his essay ‘Nature’ is the lavish consumption of the power of the natural world. He assumes nature as a place where humans can concentrate and think deeply about themselves and regain divine wisdom and knowledge. Emerson in the fifth chapter of ‘Nature’ asserts: “Nature is a discipline of the understanding in intellectual truths” (194). This quotation briefly demonstrates that nature is the only instructor of humans that can teach them the spirit of truth in life. Emerson also considers humans as a part of nature and nature as a part of a human, as he says, “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” (183). So, Emerson identifies nature and spirit as the parts and parcels of the universe.

The main theme of Emerson in ‘Self-Reliance’ is the responsibility of individuals for their lives. Emerson believed that society takes control of people’s lives and puts them on a particular path in life. One of the most important elements that society elects for people is their religion. In ‘Self-Reliance’, he severely rejects the idea of institutionalized religion that forces a person to accept reprogrammed and strict norms and it seeks to build a systematic way of doing things. By accepting institutional religion, people will be surrounded by a bunch of austere principles that grab the right to choose freely from people.

“The great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude” (Emerson, 239). Besides religion, Emerson seriously emphasizes independent thinking. He has an opinion that the life in which people or society are permitted to impose their expectations and ideas and be affected by their thoughts is merely vacuous and absurd. To be great, an individual needs to be free from all sorts of external elements and just rely on his spirit of independence.

Emerson and other transcendentalists consider each individual as equal in the eyes of God and all have sufficient spiritual power to intuit God in their daily lives (Phillips and Andrew, 34). Abducting the freedom of someone and taking control of them, which is known as slavery, for Emerson is not acceptable and he rigorously criticizes slavery throughout his lifetime.

Besides Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman is another influential American transcendental poet and essayist. Whitman’s viewpoint is not as transcendental as Emerson’s, but he bridges the gap between transcendentalism and realism. Unlike transcendentalism, realism deals more with the mundane and physical life of each class in society. Whitman’s transcendentalism differs from Emerson’s one, as Whitman’s acquisition of transcendental experience is not dependent on the metaphysical world but on the physical body and nature.

“I believe in the flesh and the appetites;/ Seeing, hearing, feeling, are miracles, and each part and tag of me is a miracle./ Divine am I inside and out, and I make holy whatever I touch or am touch’d from;/ The scent of these arm-pits aroma finer than prayer;/ This head more than churches, bibles, and all the creeds” (Whitman, 522-526). In the first line of section 24 of ‘Song of Myself’, Whitman refers to the reader to seven deadly sins in Christian creeds by using the word ‘flesh’, suggesting lust, and the word ‘appetite’, suggesting gluttony and greed. These references show Whitman’s appreciation of the human body and sexuality that has been bolded during the 19th century, in which sexuality was harshly suppressed. In the 19th century in America, most writers and philosophers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau assumed discussing and writing about sex was a disgraceful act, and Michel Foucault in his book ‘The History of Sexuality’ asserted: “On the subject of sex, silence became the rule” (3). This demonstrates Whitman’s iconoclastic style and how he obstinately opposed society’s conventions and Christian creeds. Whitman’s use of sensuous words and concrete language in the second line somehow displays his religious view of one’s body. He considers all parts of the human body, such as vision, hearing, and tactility, as miracles like nature. “Divine am I inside and out, and I make holy whatever I touch or am touch’d from” (Whitman, 524). He thinks the human body, as well as the soul, is holy, and thinks only those who have the correct attitude can understand it. In the second part, Whitman severely negates Emerson’s view of the human soul and manifests his transcendentalism, which that says for Emerson sense of sight is the main source of realization of transcendental experience, however, for Whitman this experience can be gained through the sense of touch. For Whitman sense of touch is one of the most significant elements that through which the transcendental experience can be gained. Just as opposed to Emerson, who enthusiastically used abstract elements in his writings, Whitman was a passionate devotee of concrete elements. In the fifth section of ‘Song of Myself’, the differences between Whitman and Emerson are apparent.

“I believe in you my soul, the other I am must not abase itself to you,/ And you must not be abased to the other:/ Loafe with me on the grass, loose the stop from your throat,/ Not words, not music or rhyme I want, not custom or lecture, not even the best,/ Only the lull I like, the hum of your valvèd voice./ I mind how once we lay such a transparent summer morning,/ How you settled your head athwart my hips and gently turn’d over upon me,/ And parted the shirt from my bosom-bone, and plunged your tongue to my bare-stript heart,/ And reach’d till you felt my beard, and reach’d till you held my feet./ Swiftly arose and spread around me the peace and knowledge that pass all the argument of the earth,/ And I know that the hand of God is the promise of my own,/ And I know that the spirit of God is the brother of my own,/ And that all the men ever born are also my brothers, and the women my sisters and lovers,/ And that a kelson of the creation is love,/ And limitless are leaves stiff or drooping in the fields,/ And brown ants in the little wells beneath them,/ And mossy scabs of the worm fence, heap’d stones, elder, mullein and poke-weed” (Whitman, 82-98). In this section of ‘Song of Myself’, Whitman tries to show the union of his soul and his body and describes his transcendental experience. The first part indicates Whitman’s attitude that both the physical body and soul are equal, and none of them should be abased by the other one. The second part of this section resembles section one, “I loaf and invite my soul” (Whitman, 1), and provides a more complete delineation. The usage of auditory sense in the following lines points out that Whitman is not interested in words, music, rhyme or costumes, and lectures, but what makes him excited is the not formalized ‘hum’ produced by his soul since it’s the spontaneous overflow from the intuition. In the next part, the sense of tactility alongside concrete creatures and elements of nature plays a consequential role in the illustration of Whitman’s own transcendentalism. Even though he tried to show his attitude through concreteness, it totally differs from Emerson’s transcendental ideologies that are concerned with abstract things.

Despite the differences that exist between Walt Whitman’s and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s transcendentalism, they had much in common in some parts. Such similarities are in the use of nature, view of tradition and religion, equality among people, etc. in their works. Both writer’s attitude toward tradition is as the same. As Emerson in ‘Self-Reliance’ rejects the idea of institutionalized religion, Whitman in ‘Song of Myself’ expresses a deep disregard for the teachings of schools and churches: “Creeds and schools in abeyance,/ Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but never forgotten,/ I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard,/ Nature without check with original energy” (Whitman, 10-13).

As Emerson in ‘Self-Reliance’ point out that religion and teachings would grab the authority from man to choose freely in life, Whitman in the first section of ‘Song of Myself’ somehow asserts the same thing. In this section, creed signifies religious doctrine, and schools suggest conventional and standard knowledge. But Whitman used the word ‘abeyance’, which means a temporary stop; it somehow indicates that he is wary about traditions, and he denies it not completely but he has a subtler attitude toward it and had the idea that people are not allowed to be affected by this doctrine excessively.

In the following lines of this section, the agency of humans has been discussed by Whitman. “I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard” (Whitman, 12). The subject of this sentence is ‘I’ indicating the poet himself. Whitman expresses his own agency in this section and he also represents the energy of his agency by using the word ‘harbor’ that represents the sea as a symbol of powerful and strong energy. Furthermore, Whitman used the act of speaking to demonstrate independent thinking and the authority of expressing one’s ideas and thoughts. He asserts that he would allow himself to say what he wants, regardless of its underlying meaning and predetermined church doctrine or school teachings. Institutionalized tradition and religion are not as significant as human agency for people, because agency enables an individual to act and speak freely. The idea of independent thinking and the human agency has been discussed by Emerson as well in ‘Self-Reliance’, as he says, “Insist on yourself; never imitate” (251). He asserts that every individual must rely on his own spirit of independency in every stage of life.

In addition to human agency, Whitman and Emerson considered each individual as equal regardless of their color or what their race might be in the eyes of God. Whitman, in section 17 of ‘Song of Myself’, makes a straightforward assertion on the discussion of divinity and equality of man: “These are really the thoughts of all men in all ages and lands, they are not original with me,/ If they are not yours as much as mine they are nothing, or next to nothing,/ If they are not the riddle and the untying of the riddle they are nothing,/ If they are not just as close as they are distant they are nothing” (Whitman, 355-358). The first line signifies that all human regardless of their time and geographical place has the inborn knowledge and Whitman’s idea in this poem, and these thoughts are not specific to Whitman himself but to all human beings. So, all individuals are equal since they have possessed the same divine knowledge. This equality was one the central concerns of Emerson in his writings.

Along with the equality of all human beings that have been discussed by Whitman and Emerson, slavery is another significant topic that they both censured it. Like Emerson, Whitman considered slaves not inferior to other people in society. He believed that taking control of people as slaves and grabbing their freedom is a malfeasant act and it must be abolished; the same idea that Emerson had possessed toward this subject. For example, Emerson “in his two addresses on West Indian Emancipation (1844 and 1845)… describes the harsh realities of slavery, whilst supporting the abolitionists by arguing for the recognition of a shared “human nature” which had long been ‘shamefully dined’ to black slaves” (Halliwell, 164). “The runaway slave came to my house and stopt outside,/ I heard his motions crackling the twigs of the woodpile,/ Through the swung half-door of the kitchen I saw him limpsy and weak,/ And went where he sat on a log and led him in and assured him,/ And brought water and fill’d a tub for his sweated body and bruis’d feet,/ And gave him a room that enter’d from my own, and gave him some coarse clean clothes,/ And remember perfectly well his revolving eyes and his awkwardness,/ And remember putting plasters on the galls of his neck and ankles;/ He staid with me a week before he was recuperated and pass’d north,/ I had him sit next me at table, my fire-lock lean’d in the corner” (Whitman, 189-198). Whitman, in the last part of section 10 of ‘Song of Myself’, expresses his defiance toward an escaped slave by narrating a first-person story. This runaway slave displays the harsh reality of the world of slaves. He sees a feeble slave behind the door of his house, he tries to give him food and water and provide him a room of his own. He treats him not as a slave but as a human being and tries not to give him to his owner. Whitman, like Emerson, strives to defend slaves and shows his abomination toward slavery.

All in all, Whitman’s ‘Song of Myself’ is an outstanding example of transcendentalism that, despite Whitman’s transcendental thoughts, portrays Ralph Waldo Emerson’s transcendentalism and manifests the similarities between these two great writers. Whitman, unlike Emerson, believed in the physical body and nature, he openly wrote about sex in his works and tried to deliver his message in his work through sensuous words, concrete language, and a sense of touch, that totally contradict Emerson’s style. Although Whitman had some ideologies that differentiate him from Emerson, he has been affected severely by Emerson. For instance, under the influence of Emerson, Whitman opposed tradition and institutionalized religion since he believed that these kinds of religious traditions can grab human freedom, or he considered human agency and the ability to think and act independently above all human characteristics. And the most important element of transcendentalism that both Whitman and Emerson discussed is equality that must exist among all people regardless of their nationality, race, color, etc. And finally, they both assumed that slavery must be abrogated. These elements demonstrate that although Whitman had a different attitude, the echoes of Emerson in his poem ‘Song of Myself’ are notably obvious.

People including Americans should be themselves, naturally humans are good and have limitless potential. Emerson argued Americans should stop looking to the Europeans for inspiration. He believed that they should create their own distinct culture carried through transcendentalist ideas. Which is followed through by the American Scholar because they are actively seeking knowledge for themselves and trying to attain a higher understanding of life. This way it leads them to their own thoughts and style that’s uniquely American.

Emerson first begins his speech by stating how humans tend to stick within the same community of people who have similar activities to them within their society. Meaning they separate themselves from other communities losing vision of all that brings them together. He doesn’t really approve of this, so he suggests that individuals should be more accepting to others of different skills than them to allow a more versatile society where everyone’s role is accounted. Due to the division one can get clouded and have troubling recognizing their roles worth versus their peers from other communities. If they can’t reach their full potential, they aren’t at full potential prohibiting them from functioning well.

Another point Emerson brings up to further the development of American scholars is past influences. Many great minds wrote books passing down their knowledge and ideas remaining relevant through the years. Though the information in books is valued it is flawed because the knowledge of that time may not apply to the current issues of the scholars time. In order to avoid this, they should write books of their own to pass down their knowledge. It is important for the scholar not to get blinded with the knowledge of the one they are reading so they can formulate their own idea. The reader can see how evident Emerson values authenticity and individualism.

Between the points bought up by Emerson not only did he provide insight of how scholars can grow the American culture, but he did it through transcendent ideas. Transcendent ideas consist of exploring knowledge, believing in yourself, and being yourself because you’re the best at being that. Through the points selected a repeating message is originality, gaining knowledge, and knowing oneself. Emerson expressed through transcendental ideas how scholars can further the American dream by actively seeking knowledge for themselves and trying to attain a higher understanding of life. Through this method it leads them to a way that’s unique to American culture.

Ralph Waldo Emerson: Self-Reliance

Emerson is the seminal intellectual, philosophical voice of the nineteenth century in America. Although readers today may find his thought slightly facile, even unrealistic– times do change–his influence among his contemporaries and those who followed immediately after him was enormous. Emerson was the spokesman for the American Transcendentalists, a group of New England romantic writers, which included Thoreau, who believed that intuition was the means to truth and that god is revealed through intuition to each individual. They celebrated the independent individual and strongly supported democracy. The essay ‘Self-Reliance,’ from which an excerpt is presented here, is the clearest, most memorable example of Emerson’s philosophy of individualism, an idea that is deeply embedded in American culture. His variety of individualism grows from the self’s intuitive connection with the Over-Soul and is not simply a matter of self-centered assertion or immature narcissism.

The five predominant elements of Transcendentalism are nonconformity, self-reliance, individualism, optimism, and intuition. These concepts are liberally sprinkled throughout Emerson’s essay ‘Nature.” When Emerson says that we should ‘demand our own works and laws and worship,’

Non-conformity

In ‘Self-Reliance,’ Emerson defines nonconformity as a refusal to bow to the pressure of society’s opinions. A nonconformist will remain true to his or her own ideas and will trust the ‘integrity’ of his or her own mind.

He believes that a true man must be a nonconformist, because otherwise, he will simply agree with what those around him say, and he will never have the confidence that his own thoughts that spring from his own brain are actually true or correct. According to Emerson, nothing in the world is sacred except the integrity of a person’s own mind, and this must be placed above the idea of what is ‘good’ or sacred in the world

Emerson defines non-conformity in relation to this idea of self-trust. He says that a nonconformist will always occasion displeasure in the face of society. People are always resistant to those who have their own ideas and do not simply conform to generally accepted opinions. He encourages true genius to embrace their own nonconformity and to simply accept that this is how they will be treated by the world around them. To conform to widely understood and agreed-upon ideas is a simple way to navigate life, but it is not challenging, and it is not appropriate for those who wish to live in a true and self-reliant way. A self-reliant person is by definition a nonconformist, because he or she will accept only his or her own personal opinions to be true unless adequately convinced otherwise

Self-Reliance

Self-reliance is all that it sounds like plus considerably more. Even though Ralph Waldo Emerson may not have introduced the concept, it was he who brought it to the general public with his 1841 essay Self-Reliance. In positive psychology, self-reliance has strong theoretical significance thanks to its implications for happiness. You’ll probably notice some overlap, or at least potential implications for self-worth, self-expression, self-knowledge, resilience, and for self-acceptance. Self-Reliance contains Emerson’s beliefs and perspectives on how society negatively impacts our growth. He argues strongly that self-reliance, self-trust, and individualism, amongst other things, are ways that we can avoid the conformity imposed upon us. Or, he also argues, that we quite frequently impose upon ourselves.

Many things can be construed from Emerson’s writings. Here are a few examples of some key concepts that shine through in his seminal essay, Self-Reliance.

The ability to think autonomously goes hand in hand with trusting your own instinct. Lots of Emerson’s work centered on how people tend to ‘hide behind’ what they’ve learned from society, or significant others within society. He believed this was mere imitation and was linked with a lack of confidence in one’s own intuition and rational capabilities.

Basically, if you (or I, or anyone) believe in something, and consider that it holds merit after thinking it through, there should be nothing holding us back from voicing it with confidence. Not to do so, Emerson believed, is to conform to societal expectations for no good reason.

Importance of Having Self-Reliance

Having self-reliance is important for several reasons. The most obvious is that depending on others for help means there will be times when it’s not available.

But let’s dig a little deeper to understand how and why you can use this concept to flourish, grow, find, and nurture happiness. Self-reliance is also important because it:

• This means you can solve problems and make decisions by yourself. This is critical as we grow older and learn to live independently;
• Allows you to feel happy by yourself, in yourself, and about yourself—without needing to rely on others;
• Involves developing self-acceptance, a very powerful thing to have;
• Involves acquiring self-knowledge and practicing self-compassion;
• Gives your perspective, which in turn…
• Gives you direction.

Individualism:

Individualism is defined as the ability and attribute of someone who longs and is different from everyone around them. Someone who is an individual is independent of everyone else and attempts to stay that way, as that is the lifestyle they promote and enjoy. Emerson shows individualism in his work ‘Self-Reliance,’ saying ‘There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion (Emerson 183).’ This quote represents transcendentalism because it shows that every man must be a man for himself and no one else and that imitation and envy are worthless.

Optimism:

Optimism is defined as the philosophy that any situation or event has good and that nothing is all bad. It is good in everything, and there is always a second chance. In the ‘glass half filled’ scenario, optimists believe that the glass is half full. Emerson is an optimist in ‘Nature’ when he says, ‘Nature is a setting that fits equally well a comic or a mourning piece. In good health, the air is a cordial of incredible virtue. Crossing a bare common, in snow puddles, at twilight, under a clouded sky, without having in my thoughts any occurrence of special good fortune, I have enjoyed a perfect exhilaration (Emerson 181).’ In all of these scenarios, Emerson finds the good in any aspect of nature, which is a very important element. There is nothing that disappoints Emerson in the woods.

Intuition:

Intuition is characterized as the knowledge about something that comes from the inside, instead of as a matter of fact. Instinct comes from the inner voice and from impulses, and visionaries accept that society and reality repress those inward good compasses and that break is a magnificent method to build up your own instinct. In ‘Nature’ Emerson says, ‘The admirer of nature is he whose internal and outward faculties are still really changed in accordance with one another; who has held the soul of outset even into the period of masculinity (Emerson 180).’ This is a portrayal since it discusses the faculties being acclimated to one another because of being near nature and getting nature. The soul of the outset is the substance of unadulterated instinct since it has not yet been ruined by society.