LITR 4232 American Renaissance 2008
Text-Objective Presentation

Thursday, 2 October: Ralph Waldo Emerson 1106-1113: introduction + opening 5 pages of Nature; 1163-68: opening 5 pages of “Self-Reliance”

Text-Objective Discussion: Martin Bidegaray

 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Bio:

Born in Boston on May 25th 1803

A large influence in his life was his Aunt, Mary Moody Emerson who encouraged him to read and think.

He studied at Harvard but was a mediocre student at best.

Became a minister but suffered a spiritual crisis in the time surrounding his first wife’s death and left the ministry in 1832, beginning to feel skeptical about religion and regarding it as “worship in the dead forms of out forefathers.”

Influenced by Thomas Carlyle.

Writings encouraged free-thinking and individualism as is highlighted by his work on “Self Reliance.”

Died in 1882 and was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

 

Nature:

Melville believed Emerson to be an optimist.

“Nature, in the common sense, refers to essences unchanged by man; space, the air, the river, the leaf.  Art is applied to the mixture of his will with the same things, as in a house, a canal, a statue, a picture.  But his operations taken together are so insignificant, a little chipping, baking, patching and washing, that in an impression so grand as that of the world on the human mind, they do not vary the result.”  (p. 1111)

“Nature never wears a mean appearance.” (p. 1111-1112)

“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,) that nature cannot repair…all mean egotism vanishes.” (p. 1112)

“For, nature is not always tricked in holiday attire, but the same scene which yesterday breathed perfume and glittered as for the frolic of the nymphs, is overspread with melancholy today.  Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” (p. 1113)

 

Questions:  How is Emerson depicting nature? 

What does he mean by his simplifications of its effect?

How is he saying that the human condition connects to nature, what does it reflect?

 

Self-Reliance:

“though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till.” (p. 1164)

“Infancy conforms to nobody: all conform to it, so that one babe commonly makes four or five out of the adults who prattle and play to it…How is a boy the master of society; independent, irresponsible, looking out from his corner...he…sentences them on their merits, in the swift summary way of boys, as good, bad, interesting, silly, eloquent, troublesome.” (p.1164-1165)

“He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness.”  (p. 1165)

 

Question: 

How does “Self-Reliance” relate to “Nature”?  Which would you label as more pure in thought?

Which is more idealistic?

 

What does Emerson mean by the “Immortal palms” quote?