Emerson: Selected Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson

By Ralph Waldo Emerson

Book Overview

"Standing on the bare ground--my head bathed by the blithe air and uplifted into infinite space--all mean egotism vanishes," Emerson wrote in Nature, his statement of the principles of transcendentalism. "I become a transparent eyeball." Nature, published in 1836 when Emerson was thirty-three, is collected here with his book of observations on the English people; a famous sermon against administering communion in church; a sketch of his step-grandfather; the eulogy he delivered at the funeral of his Concord friend and neighbor Henry David Thoreau; twenty-three poems; and addresses, lectures, and essays on such subjects as slavery, self-reliance, and organized Christianity's obsession with the person of Jesus. Emerson called transcendentalism another word for idealism--"a hypothesis to account for nature by other principles than those of carpentry and chemistry." Considered intensely radical at a time when materialism and a rigid form of Christianity were ascendant, he urged Americans to "enjoy an original relation to the universe." These selections span Emerson's career as author and traveling lecturer, and chart his evolving thought: the concepts of the "oversoul", individualism without egotism, and antimaterialism; a belief in intuition, independence, and "the splendid labyrinth of one's own perceptions."

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451524047
• ISBN13: 9780451524041
• Release Date: November 1965
• Publisher: Signet Classics
• Length: 10 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Good book - just what I needed for class.

This collected works of Emerson contained all the important works of this Romantic author. I used it in my Religion and Literature class.

Very Interesting

I had to use this book as a text for a college English class. I was not familiar with Emerson before but this book seems to have so much for the amateur and person interested in Emerson.

Discover the Mysteries of the Universe.

For the soul searching for fresh air, the ideas and information presented to the reader in this book are truly refreshing, as the essays and other writings offered in this book are truly extraordinary and have been abandoned in today's educational system. Emerson emphasizes the individual's place in the universe rather than the servile role offered by contemporary society's pump em out produce isle. Also, If the reader of this reveiw is interested in finding transcendental answers about the universe through direct experience seek out titles by an author of the name Samael Aun Weor. In his titles, he instruction for the development of one's soul is limitless and will afford the opportunity to explore the dimensions of the universe ignored by many.

Friendship & Self-Reliance

"The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson was known for capturing the hearts of Americans. He engaged in conversations about our best impulses, the optimism of a young country and the spirit of the American people. His quotes are little gems that shine as brightly today as they did when he first lectured in 1833. His thoughts made sense to people and some said his words made music. Even today, while writing an e-mail to a friend, I thought: "The only way to have a friend is to be one." Where did that thought come from? Well, I just found it in this book! I am laughing now as I read this book because my friend said: "You remember best what leaves you" which is similar to: "We remember those things which we love." Of course, neither of us considered that our thoughts are similar to Emerson's thoughts and yet somehow they have become part of us as easily as if we drank the thoughts in a cup of coffee. While reading this book, you will realize where some of your own thought originated from and I love the idea that "Books are the best of things, well used; abused among the worst." I am also laughing about his ideas that there are no more than a dozen people in the world who read and understand Plato. Since I'm about to dive into a book about Plato. You can just imagine a man with Emerson's mind trying to find people to talk to who could relate to his lucid thoughts. Emerson was a Unitarian minister who as Matthew Arnold said, was "the friend and aider of those who would live in the spirit." The selections in this book are delightfully old-fashioned and yet the writing is still very relevant for our lives today. He discusses harvests and what we can learn from farming. This book also contains a special section on "Emerson's Wit." Lovely tiny book of enlightening thoughts. "Make yourself necessary to someone." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson ~The Rebecca Review

Excellent introduction to Emerson's writings

Along with Joel Porte's *Emerson in His Journals*, the Whicher anthology offers a broad spectrum of Emerson's work, introduced intelligently and arranged in biographical and intellectual context. A must for the classroom or the interested casual reader.