Who is Emerson's intended audience in "Self-Reliance"?
Who is Emerson's intended audience in "Self-Reliance"?
View ArticleIn his day, Ralph Waldo Emerson was something like a rock star. Crowds...
In his day, Ralph Waldo Emerson was something like a rock star. Crowds came to listen to his lectures. Young people hearkened to his message that American society was on the verge of a new age;...
View ArticleSelf-reliance in this essay is not about taking care of the externals of...
Self-reliance in this essay is not about taking care of the externals of life, such as food, shelter, and clothing. Instead, it is about the state of one's soul: Emerson strongly advocates for trusting...
View ArticleThe following metaphor appears in "Self-Reliance:""These are the voices...
The following metaphor appears in "Self-Reliance:""These are the voices which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world." In this metaphor, one's inner voice...
View ArticleHis point is that adults, who have been absorbed into the “group...
His point is that adults, who have been absorbed into the “group think” of society, are unable to think for themselves. Emerson says, famously, elsewhere in this essay that “Whoso would be a man must...
View ArticleWhen Ralph Waldo Emerson uses the phrase "that divine idea each of us...
When Ralph Waldo Emerson uses the phrase "that divine idea each of us represent," he means the uniqueness of each person as conceived by God. In his essay "Self-Reliance," Emerson urges all people to...
View ArticleWhat does Ralph Waldo Emerson mean when he says "And we are now men, and...
What does Ralph Waldo Emerson mean when he says "And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny?"
View ArticleEmerson's essay argues passionately that a person must trust his or her...
Emerson's essay argues passionately that a person must trust his or her inner voice: that we all have a destiny given to us by God, and we all have to find it and cultivate it for ourselves. This is...
View ArticleTo understand this line from "Self-Reliance," we have to put it in...
To understand this line from "Self-Reliance," we have to put it in context. Emerson is urging the reader to listen to his own intuitive insights, and not put them aside because he doubts his ability to...
View ArticleBy the word, "palms," Emerson is referring to the palm leaf or laurel...
By the word, "palms," Emerson is referring to the palm leaf or laurel branch, which in ancient times was used by people to celebrate a victory or occasion for rejoicing. One example of this usage well...
View ArticleThis quote from Emerson's "Self-Reliance," and it's about the importance...
This quote from Emerson's "Self-Reliance," and it's about the importance of originality and trusting one's own instinct in the process of becoming educated. The person who truly wants to become...
View ArticleBy the word, "palms," Emerson is referring to the palm leaf or laurel...
By the word, "palms," Emerson is referring to the palm leaf or laurel branch, which in ancient times was used by people to celebrate a victory or occasion for rejoicing. One example of this usage well...
View ArticlePenance is an act of contrition — doing something to show you...
Penance is an act of contrition — doing something to show you acknowledge your wrongdoing and are sorry about it. The act of doing penance is ritualized as a sacrament in the Catholic Church, and...
View ArticleIn this passage, Emerson is using language with religious connotations...
In this passage, Emerson is using language with religious connotations to make the point that everyday people aren't meant to be followers or passive bystanders on the sidelines. Everyone should take...
View ArticleThe "ever-blessed One" refers to the unity of our souls with the soul of...
The "ever-blessed One" refers to the unity of our souls with the soul of God. It's what Emerson elsewhere calls the "Over-Soul," God's presence in us and all things. Emerson isn't very clear about how...
View ArticleWho is Emerson's intended audience in "Self-Reliance"?
Who is Emerson's intended audience in "Self-Reliance"?
View ArticleEmerson: Compare the comments Emerson makes about “Self-Reliance”...
Emerson: Compare the comments Emerson makes about “Self-Reliance” with the comments Crevecoeur made in “What is an American?” How do these views of “Americans” compare/contrast with Americans today?
View ArticleEmerson's "Self-Reliance" celebrates originality and nonconformity. He...
Emerson's "Self-Reliance" celebrates originality and nonconformity. He was opposed to people imitating others and famously wrote: "There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the...
View ArticleCompare the comments Emerson makes about “Self-Reliance” with the...
Compare the comments Emerson makes about “Self-Reliance” with the comments Crevecoeur made in “What is an American?” How do these views of “Americans” compare and contrast with Americans today?
View ArticleEmerson's "Self-Reliance" celebrates originality and nonconformity. He...
Emerson's "Self-Reliance" celebrates originality and nonconformity. He was opposed to people imitating others and famously wrote: There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the...
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