Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Born:
- May 25, 1803, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Died:
- April 27, 1882, Concord, Massachusetts, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Essayist, Lecturer, Philosopher, Poet
Early Life and Education
- Born to Ruth Haskins Emerson and Rev. William Emerson, a Unitarian minister.
- Attended Boston Latin School.
- Graduated from Harvard College in 1821.
- Studied at Harvard Divinity School and became a Unitarian minister.
Career and Major Achievements
- Ordained as a junior pastor of the Second Church of Boston in 1829.
- Resigned from the ministry in 1832 due to theological disagreements.
- Traveled to Europe, meeting prominent intellectuals like Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Thomas Carlyle.
- Began a career as a lecturer, gaining popularity for his insightful and inspiring speeches.
- Published his first book, Nature, in 1836, outlining his transcendentalist philosophy.
- Co-founded The Dial, a transcendentalist journal, in 1840.
- Delivered the "American Scholar" address in 1837, considered by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. as "America's intellectual Declaration of Independence."
- Influenced numerous writers and thinkers, including Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickinson.
Notable Works
- Nature (1836)
- "The American Scholar" (1837)
- Essays: First Series (1841)
- Essays: Second Series (1844)
- Representative Men (1850)
- The Conduct of Life (1860)
- Society and Solitude (1870)
Legacy and Impact
The examination of the life and work of Ralph Waldo Emerson reveals his significant contribution to American literature and philosophy. He is considered a central figure in the transcendentalist movement, advocating for individualism, self-reliance, and the inherent goodness of humanity. His essays and lectures continue to inspire readers and thinkers today.