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Literature reflects society
Literature reflects society
Literature as a reflection of society
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Emerson's Over-Soul
A citizen of Concord, a denizen of philosophy, a certain Mr. Emerson has recently informed me of his observations of a peculiar phenomenon he dubs the Over-Soul. I wish to, rather than bicker over the particular, interpret the general meaning and nature of this universal specimen.
Mr. Emerson thoughtfully maintains that we, as rational and sentient beings, do and shall, beyond dispute and by virtue of our existence, know a certainty when presented it. He further entertains that such carnal understanding of being can be derived from such works of Shakespeare, and of Plato, and of other white, predominately dead men. But what is this visceral comprehension, this indescribable wonder? And whence does it come? I shall maintain that it is meaning, and that it comes from intelligence. Herein I shall undertake to discover its origin, existence and implication.
Meaning, of course, names neither time nor space an acquaintance. It lies entirely in the mind of the individual, yet is to be found in every perception. Meaning is the thing that masquerades as truth and relies on the soul. Only an individual mind can discern it, and the genuine man can find it under every stone, or in a true stroke of oil, or between two pages. Only meaning can we ever truly know. Every genuine person seeks it, and finds it. All potentially rational entities are capable of appreciating this meaning, and fencing with it. It captivates all true men, and it permeates the intelligent universe. I daresay that Meaning is the divine timber from which Mr. Emerson's Over-Soul is cut. The revelations, the insight, the common basis of conversation that he describes can derive from nothing other than meaning in the ultimate tracing. We see profoundly because we see meaning, and we experience the enduring meaning in the "mind that is grandly simple." Our common ground of humanity is the appreciation of meaning. But what is the precise relationship of Meaning and the Over-Soul? No mere sentence can describe it, but I will attempt to characterize it. The Over-Soul is a continuous, ethereal entity that dances with intelligence; Meaning is a consistent abstraction that lurks in the mind. All laws derive from the Over-Soul, but the laws only exist because they have the perfection of Meaning. The Over-Soul visits, on occasion, her clients; but Meaning awaits her suitors. The Over-Soul is an active, while Meaning exists passive, waiting for life anew in each comprehending mind.
Emerson decides not to conform to modern ways, but to be an individual.Furthermore, in Nature, Emerson says, "Standing on the bare ground - my head bathed by the blithe air and uplifted into infin...
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Emily Dickinson were two of America’s most intriguing poets. They were both drawn to the transcendentalist movement which taught “unison of creation, the righteousness of humanity, and the preeminence of insight over logic and reason” (Woodberry 113). This movement also taught them to reject “religious authority” (Sherwood 66). By this declination of authority, they were able to express their individuality. It is through their acceptance of this individuality that will illustrate their ambiguities in their faith in God.
In class we talked about how Emerson influenced Ralph Ellison and was in a way Ellison’s predecessor. In an article by Christopher Hanlon called Eloquence and Invisible Man. The author talks about how Emerson’s piece of writing influenced much of the rhythm of Ellison’s writing. The author, Christopher Hanlon, focuses on many different aspects of the first speech that the Invisible Man gives in alliance with the Brotherhood.
In the midst of all of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essays, “Circles,” is undoubtedly a piece which masterfully incorporates Emerson’s philosophies of etymology with the spiritual. Etymology, down to its core, deals with the origin of certain phrases, words, or examples used to describe an object of meaning. Emerson uses this technique to craft a spiritual essay that pushes the reader to see the universe from a different perspective, and to tear away from the social norms of what is expected of religion to follow his or her own path. To do this, however, Emerson stresses the importance of understanding and reason. To understand is to classify, differentiate, and compare. To reason, on the other hand, exceeds understanding by serving as the intuitive facility to the soul. To do this, one must become a poet as described by Emerson.
"In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, - no disgrace, no calamity (leaving me my eyes), which nature cannot repair. Standing on the bare ground, - my head bathed by the blithe air and uplifted into infinite space, - all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eyeball. I am nothing. I see all. The currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God."
Ralph Waldo Emerson has taken the place in history as one of the most influential writers in the 19th century because of his romantic style of writing. The poem Amulet continues Emerson’s trend of romantic poems. In the poem Amulet, Emerson takes the reader on a poetic journey that shows the transitions and reality of love. The first stanza illustrates love through visions of happiness and gifts but then shows how quickly the feelings of love can change. As the poem moves to the next stanza, Emerson asks for protection from this changing love. Highlighting feelings of being in love to being out of love, By the third stanza, Emerson shows that love is in fact transitional. In the end, the reader is left with an understanding the poem's meaning implies that nothing can really protect a person from love that is lost. Emerson uses literary devices such as personification, symbolism, and metonymy to illustrate his message. The form of the poem is a ballad, which he uses strategically because ballads are usually written about love.
Parmenides of Elea discusses the meta-theoretical issue of what can be legitimately thought and said. In his writings, Parmenides asserts that anything rationally conceivable must exist. In turn, anything non-existent can neither be thought of nor said. Furthermore, Parmenides rejects beliefs that are based on sensory experience. He believes that the senses deter us from recognizing genuine being, which can only be recognized through the use of reason. Although his argument seems to be logically sound, his theory proves unreasonable in the end.
The sources of Emerson’s writings were from the early colonists, and he acknowledged them in his writings (Bloom 34). His writings were secular, and the readers of the era were sometimes scared by the lack of religious references and biblical texts in his writings. His writings were considered daring for his time, but they were moral (Unger 2).
The purpose of this investigation is to investigate how one variable (temperature in this experiment) will affect the rate of a chemical reaction. The rate of any chemical reaction always depends on the reactant concentrations, surface area of reactants and the temperature.
A pendulum, is what is used in many rides, generally in, Disney, Knott's Berry, and 6 Flags. A pendulum makes the ride move back and forth in a swaying motion like a swing. It is fixed at a point so gravity propels the object swing back and forth. There is a concept of an ideal period in a pendulum. The time it takes for a pendulum to swing back to its original position where it started is what you would call, an “ideal period”. The group will be determining whether or not it is possible for a pendulum of 45 degrees or less to have an constant/ideal period of 1.5 seconds.
Use the thermometer to take the temperature of the water and then record it on your data sheet.
In a substance the rate of reaction will be quicker if it has a large
In his book, Nature, Ralph Waldo Emerson writes, “In the wilderness, I find something more dear and connate than in streets or villages” (1). Emerson was an avid nature lover who lived, for most of his life, in beautiful wilderness. Many of Emerson’s works vividly document his magnificent, breath-taking experiences. This book leaves the reader desiring the feel of nature that Emerson felt and yearning for nature’s peaceful effect on one’s life.
"A Plain Discussion with a Transcendentalist." New Englander (1843-1885) 10 1843: 502. ProQuest. Web. 4 Dec. 2013 .
As such, when in possession of a self evident truth, the intellect has an infinitely positive, infinitely embraced qualitative relationship with a proposition. In other words, the intellect believes fully in said proposition, without an inkling of doubt, without a dot or tittle removed from the embraced proposition. The one who grasps, understands, comprehends, possesses said proposition, consummates a bond with a duality (subject and proposition), transmuting it into a singularity (one within the intellect). Such a man can be said to step outside his specific lot in life, and literally transcend, through his intellect, into a realm that is devoid of any doubt, uncertainty and vacillating possibility. For doubt arises when there are possibilities, but when a thing is unified, possibilities cannot be posited. Such a man embraces positively, in an active pondering contemplation the idea-in-itself with certainty, without mediums and