Emerson: An Introduction
Emerson is a very popular writer of
America. He was born in 1803. After graduation he became clergy of a Boston
church. This great author married in 1829 but his wife left this world in 1831.
He resigned from the post of clergy in 1832 because he could not conduct those
religious rituals in which he did not believe. After resignation Emerson went
to Europe and stayed there for almost a year. During his stay in England he met
Wordsworth, Coleridge and Carlyle. They became his lifelong friends. On his
return he moved from Boston to Concord, a nearby town. He married again in
1835. After that he started his writing and began to deliver lectures in the
USA. He delivered nearly 1500 lectures in all. His lectures were the principal
means of support of his life. Emerson’s literary flowering took place during
1834 to 1844. During this period he formulated his basic ideas and wrote several
essays for which he is popular today.
At the start of his literary career
he appeared as a controversial figure due to his opposition to authority. But
very soon he got recognition as a sound and original thinker, orator and
author. He became very popular in the entire nation. He got a title ‘The Sage
of Concord’.
Emerson is known for the following
compositions:
1. Nature (1836) is Emerson’s
first published book. It expresses the fundamental concepts of
Transcendentalism.
2. The American Scholar (1837)
& The Divinity School Address (1838) are his popular lectures that
express his disregard for authority. Emerson clearly rejects the church
domination over the spiritual life of the individual. He advocates that man
himself is his own church. According to him ‘truth is attainable only through
intuition; it can’t be received second hand.’
3. Essays: Self Reliance, The
Over-Soul, Compensation, Spiritual Laws, Love, Friendship,
History, The poet, Experience and New England Reformers.
4. Poems: The Sphinx, The Rhodora,
Each and All, The Problem, The Visit, The Humble Bee, The Snow Storm, Concord
Hymn, Ode to Beauty, Brahma, Days, Merlin, Bacchus.
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