Thursday, 16 September: Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1512-1518 (introduction and opening of Nature), 1555-1560 (opening of “Self-Reliance”),  “Concord Hymn” 1603.

Reader: Jennifer Horner   

Objective 1: To use critical techniques of "close reading" and "new historicism" as ways of studying classical, popular, and representative literature and cultural history of the "American Renaissance."

Classical would be a good way describe Emerson’s writing technique. According to page 1512-1515 he has plenty of evidence according to the table that was present Tuesday in class. A couple of examples of this are that he writes his stories/poems like a sermon. Also because Emerson was highly educated thought Harvard University this puts him under the category of a Classical Writer. In the opening paragraph on page 1512 it says, “Ralph Waldo Emerson is often positioned as the “father” of American Literature.

Question 1

On page 1515 it says, “A critic of his first book Nature, was offended by language that is sometimes “coarse and blunt.”” Do you find Emerson’s Chapter I Nature offending? If so what was your idea of “coarse or blunt”? Does he have a classical style?

Objective 2:  To study the movement of “Romanticism,” the narrative genre of “romance,” and the related styles of the “gothic” and “the sublime.” 

Focus is on the sublime.

One example of Emerson using sublime is on page 1517 it reads,  “In the presence of nature a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows.  Nature says, - he is my creature, and maugre all his impertinent griefs, he shall be glad with me.”

Question 2

Are there any other places in the assigned readings where you can find examples of sublime?