Ralph Waldo Emerson Essay

Emphasis on the Individual

Individualistic thinking has become the backbone of American society. Obsessed with ideas of personal gain and individual destiny, American society is known for its ideas of self-preservation and individual achievement. There are countless authors who contributed to these ideologies but one who stands out the most is Ralph Waldo Emerson. Sometimes called the “father of American literature”, Emerson created very controversial ideas in his time because he believed that a human-being is connected directly to nature, the source of all life, and therefore is imbued with the ability to accomplish amazing things (Lauter 1704). This type of thinking is very present in modern society and has become a cultural norm in America. This discussion will be looking at a brief history of Emerson, an overview of his works, and will be analyzing the emphasis placed on the individual that is often displayed in Emerson’s works and how his ideas directly impact modern American society.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an individual who left behind a fascinating legacy. Some incredible highlights about his life are that he attended Harvard and was the youngest in his class, he is recognized as the creator of transcendentalism, he was the editor of The Dial, which was a magazine that published transcendentalist ideas, and he had created revolutionary essays and poems for his time (Whelan 8-9).

In order to understand the significance of Emerson’s ideas, it is first important to know the cultural trends and ideologies that existed in early America. Since the founding of the country, America was directly influenced by the Puritans, who were religious separatists who came to America to experience religious freedom. Puritans believe that in...

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...liance on one’s own power. Ralph Waldo Emerson creates an engaging discussion in Self-Reliance by the presentation of societal problems and the reinforcement that individual power is the best resolution.

Ralph Waldo Emerson has continued to be recognized as one of the most influential American authors because his words have stayed extremely applicable to modern society. In Nature, Emerson presented the idea that the natural world is the pinnacle of power and since man is directly connected to that power, mankind is capable of amazing things. As time goes on the curiosity about the natural world and man’s connection to it is very prevalent. Emerson pronounces on this idea by saying, “The universe is pervaded with myriads of secret analogies…” (Emerson 173). These secret analogies that Emerson talks about are the source http://www.rochester.edu/news/show.php?id=3639