Ralph Waldo Emerson
Emily McCord-1
Ralph Waldo Emerson, an outstanding author, is well-known for his pamphlet "Nature" and his essay "Self-Reliance." published in 1836. He lived in the transcendentalism era and was a significant part of that movement. This movement was all about the power of the individual. Emerson deeply believed each individual could transcend the physical world of the senses into deeper spiritual experience through free will and intuition.
This photo captures Emerson reading along side his children, Edward and Edith.
Self Reliance is one of the greatest essays Emerson wrote.
Nature is a popular essay written by Emerson which he is very popularly known by.
Explanation of "Self Reliance"
This article explains Emerson's text, "Self-Reliance," a major contribution to the transcendentalism era.
One of Thoreau's key points within "Civil Disobedience" is that the individual man has more influence than the government. He states that the government "has not the vitality and force of a single living man; for a single living man can bend it to his will" (Thoreau). This idea Thoreau believes connects to Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance" because he believes in the power of the individual as well. Emerson wrote "to believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your heart for all men, -- that is genius" (Emerson). In both of these quotes, the audience can see the most significant way these authors connect is their common belief in the significance of individuality.