The Blind Men And The Elephant Rhetorical Analysis

How do we learn? This is an almost infinite question. According to Ralph Waldo Emerson's “Self-Reliance” we learn best in solitude. Although, if we follow the guide lines of “The Blind Men and the Elephant” by John Godfrey Saxe, we see that we learn better in a group setting; gaining a fresh perspective with each and every addition to the coterie. Each setting provides unique aspects, yet they are perceived as drastically dissimilar methods. So now the question remains, not 'How do we learn?', but rather “How do we best learn?” Some (Like Emerson) may say that learning alone displays the sheer will and determination expelled from our minds to better ourselves. Emerson very plainly beseeches to his audience “There is a time in every man's

This is what the “The Blind Men and the Elephant” by John Godfrey Saxe displays. It shows us in an uncommon way that we can use several peoples perspectives to create a vastly different perception of the same object or situation. In learning this way we imbue our minds with the knowledge from the views of others, and gain the opportunity to see aspects we might not have otherwise noticed. Which method proves most effective? This is a question is no longer infinite. Although, there are definitely many advantages to learning in a group I believe that we must first learn ourselves as people. It is extremely difficult to not draw wisdom from Emerson. Self-Reliance encourages us as the readers to pave a smooth road into our own knowledge. It teaches us that we must first know our selves as people before we can completely absorb the entirety of the knowledge provided to us. We as an individual must plant that seed and go through the peril and toil that might come with the failure of that seed to sprout in order to revel in the joy that comes from it growing into a wondrous tree. That is how we must