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 into a prominent Boston family with a long line of ministers.
- Father, William Emerson, was a Unitarian minister.
- Attended Boston Latin School.
- Graduated from Harvard College in 1821.
- Studied at Harvard Divinity School, graduating in 1829.
Career and Major Achievements
- Ordained as a Unitarian minister at the Second Church of Boston in 1829.
- Resigned from the ministry in 1832 due to theological disagreements.
- Traveled to Europe, meeting prominent intellectuals such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Thomas Carlyle.
- Began a career as a lecturer, gaining widespread popularity.
- Published his first major work, Nature, in 1836, outlining his transcendentalist philosophy.
- Co-founded The Dial, a transcendentalist journal, in 1840.
- Delivered the "American Scholar" address in 1837, considered a literary declaration of independence.
- Authored numerous influential essays, including "Self-Reliance," "The Over-Soul," and "Circles."
Notable Works
- Nature (1836)
- "The American Scholar" (1837)
- Essays: First Series (1841)
- Essays: Second Series (1844)
- Poems (1847)
- Representative Men (1850)
- English Traits (1856)
- The Conduct of Life (1860)
Legacy and Impact
Ralph Waldo Emerson, through his essays, lectures, and poetry, became a central figure in the transcendentalist movement and a leading voice in American intellectual history. His emphasis on individualism, self-reliance, and the inherent divinity of nature profoundly influenced American thought and literature. To suggest that with each act of kindness, as demonstrated through his writings and philosophy, 'ralph waldo emerson one life has breathed easier' speaks to his lasting influence.