Ralph Waldo Emerson Biography

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Philosopher
Occup.Philosopher
FromUSA
BornMay 25, 1803
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedApril 27, 1882
Concord, Massachusetts, U.S.
Aged78 years
Early Life and Education
Ralph Waldo Emerson was born on May 25, 1803, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He was the fourth of 8 kids born to William Emerson, a Unitarian minister, and Ruth Haskins. Emerson's family had deep roots in New England's spiritual and intellectual history. His father passed away when Ralph was only 8, leaving the family in modest monetary situations. Under these conditions, his mother and other female relative played substantial functions in his training.

Emerson went to the Boston Latin School and later on Harvard College, where he graduated in 1821. During his time at Harvard, Emerson began to develop his interest in literature and approach, although his academic efficiency was not particularly identified. After graduating, he worked as a teacher for a brief duration before choosing to follow in his daddy's footsteps and pursue a career in the ministry.

Career and Marriage
In 1829, Emerson was ordained as a Unitarian minister and took a position at the Second Church in Boston. The exact same year, he wed Ellen Louisa Tucker, who tragically passed away of tuberculosis in 1831, just 18 months after their marital relationship. Her death exceptionally impacted Emerson, leading him to question a number of the spiritual teachings he had been taught.

Emerson's doubts about standard Christianity resulted in his resignation from the ministry in 1832. He then embarked on a European trip, where he satisfied intellectual stars such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth, and Thomas Carlyle. The journey had an enduring effect on him, shaping his ideas on individualism and spirituality.

The Transcendental Club and Philosophical Development
Upon going back to the United States, Emerson settled in Concord, Massachusetts, which would remain his home for the rest of his life. In 1835, he married Lydia Jackson, and the couple had four children.

During the 1830s, Emerson became a main figure in the Transcendental Club, a group of New England intellectuals who were dedicated to exploring originalities in literature, religion, culture, and approach. Members of this group consisted of Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Bronson Alcott, and Elizabeth Peabody. This motion stressed the inherent goodness of individuals and nature, the significance of self-reliance, and the belief in the individual's ability to transcend the material world through instinct and creativity.

Major Works and Lectures
Emerson is best known for his essays and public lectures. His very first substantial work, "Nature", was released in 1836 and laid the structure for Transcendentalist philosophy. The essay motivated readers to engage with the natural world and understand their place within it, turning away from structured spiritual doctrines in favor of individual spiritual experiences.

In 1841, Emerson released his first series of essays, including a few of his most well-known works such as "Self-Reliance", "The Over-Soul", and "Circles". These essays check out themes of individualism, the unity of all production, and the potential of the human spirit.

Emerson was a desired lecturer throughout his life, and his lectures often previewed ideas and themes that would later appear in his essays. His design of public speaking was prominent, known for its inspiring quality and capability to engage audiences' minds and spirits.

Later Life and Legacy
In his later years, Emerson continued to compose and lecture, although his output slowed due to decreasing health and memory issues. In spite of this, he stayed a highly regarded figure in American intellectual life up until his death on April 27, 1882, in Concord.

Emerson's influence extended far beyond his lifetime, affecting subsequent generations of writers, thinkers, and social reformers. His ideas helped shape American philosophy and literature, especially through the promotion of individualism, non-conformity, and the belief in individual spiritual development outside standard spiritual organizations.

Ralph Waldo Emerson's tradition makes it through in the enduring popularity of his works and his contribution to the wider American transcendentalist motion. His relationships and collaborations with figures like Henry David Thoreau and Margaret Fuller not only enriched his work however likewise sustained the intellectual and cultural currents of his time.

Our collection contains 205 quotes who is written / told by Ralph, under the main topics: Art - Love - Age - Nature - Motivational.

Related authors: Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (Poet), Henry David Thoreau (Author), Thomas Carlyle (Writer), Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Poet), Raymond Holliwell (Author), Nathaniel Hawthorne (Novelist), Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Poet), William Wordsworth (Poet), Walt Whitman (Poet), Walter Savage Landor (Poet)

Frequently Asked Questions
  • Q: Ralph Waldo Emerson works
    A: His works include essays such as 'Nature', 'Self-Reliance', and 'Circles', as well as poems like 'The Rhodora' and 'Concord Hymn'.
  • Q: What was Ralph Waldo Emerson known for
    A: Emerson was known for his influential essays, speeches, and poems that championed transcendentalist philosophy, individualism, and nonconformity.
  • Q: Ralph Waldo Emerson cause of death
    A: Pneumonia
  • Q: Ralph Waldo Emerson nationality
    A: American
  • Q: Ralph Waldo Emerson summary
    A: Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American philosopher, essayist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement. He advocated for individualism and self-reliance.
  • Q: Ralph Waldo Emerson famous works
    A: Some of his famous works include 'Nature', 'Self-Reliance', 'The American Scholar', and 'The Over-Soul'.
  • Q: How old was Ralph Waldo Emerson?
    A: He became 78 years old
Ralph Waldo Emerson Famous Works:
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205 Famous quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Small: Each age, it is found, must write its own books or rather, each generation for the next succeeding
"Each age, it is found, must write its own books; or rather, each generation for the next succeeding"
Small: Fine manners need the support of fine manners in others
"Fine manners need the support of fine manners in others"
Small: The value of a principle is the number of things it will explain
"The value of a principle is the number of things it will explain"
Small: As soon as there is life there is danger
"As soon as there is life there is danger"
Small: Words are also actions, and actions are a kind of words
"Words are also actions, and actions are a kind of words"
Small: Every wall is a door
"Every wall is a door"
Small: We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a private chart, of whi
"We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities"
Small: Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss
"Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss"
Small: Money often costs too much
"Money often costs too much"
Small: Some books leave us free and some books make us free
"Some books leave us free and some books make us free"
Small: The years teach much which the days never know
"The years teach much which the days never know"
Small: The age of a woman doesnt mean a thing. The best tunes are played on the oldest fiddles
"The age of a woman doesn't mean a thing. The best tunes are played on the oldest fiddles"
Small: Beauty without expression is boring
"Beauty without expression is boring"
Small: Men love to wonder, and that is the seed of science
"Men love to wonder, and that is the seed of science"
Small: Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures
"Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures"
Small: Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved
"Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved"
Small: The ancestor of every action is a thought
"The ancestor of every action is a thought"
Small: If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years how man would marvel and stare
"If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years how man would marvel and stare"
Small: Science does not know its debt to imagination
"Science does not know its debt to imagination"
Small: The man of genius inspires us with a boundless confidence in our own powers
"The man of genius inspires us with a boundless confidence in our own powers"
Small: Every man is a quotation from all his ancestors
"Every man is a quotation from all his ancestors"
Small: Truth is beautiful, without doubt but so are lies
"Truth is beautiful, without doubt; but so are lies"
Small: Trust your instinct to the end, though you can render no reason
"Trust your instinct to the end, though you can render no reason"
Small: The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization
"The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization"
Small: There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep
"There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep"
Small: All diseases run into one, old age
"All diseases run into one, old age"
Small: America is another name for opportunity
"America is another name for opportunity"
Small: Our admiration of the antique is not admiration of the old, but of the natural
"Our admiration of the antique is not admiration of the old, but of the natural"
Small: As we grow old, the beauty steals inward
"As we grow old, the beauty steals inward"
Small: A man is a method, a progressive arrangement a selecting principle, gathering his like to him wherever
"A man is a method, a progressive arrangement; a selecting principle, gathering his like to him; wherever he goes"
Small: Every artist was first an amateur
"Every artist was first an amateur"
Small: As long as a man stands in his own way, everything seems to be in his way
"As long as a man stands in his own way, everything seems to be in his way"
Small: The real and lasting victories are those of peace, and not of war
"The real and lasting victories are those of peace, and not of war"
Small: For every benefit you receive a tax is levied
"For every benefit you receive a tax is levied"
Small: I have thought a sufficient measure of civilization is the influence of good women
"I have thought a sufficient measure of civilization is the influence of good women"
Small: What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you
"What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you"
Small: We aim above the mark to hit the mark
"We aim above the mark to hit the mark"
Small: Every man has his own courage, and is betrayed because he seeks in himself the courage of other persons
"Every man has his own courage, and is betrayed because he seeks in himself the courage of other persons"
Small: Why need I volumes, if one word suffice?
"Why need I volumes, if one word suffice?"
Small: Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm
"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm"
Small: Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect
"Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect"
Small: The sky is the daily bread of the eyes
"The sky is the daily bread of the eyes"
Small: To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accompli
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment"
Small: Every actual State is corrupt. Good men must not obey laws too well
"Every actual State is corrupt. Good men must not obey laws too well"
Small: Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience
"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience"
Small: Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding
"Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding"
Small: One must be an inventor to read well. There is then creative reading as well as creative writing
"One must be an inventor to read well. There is then creative reading as well as creative writing"
Small: Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is Gods handwriting
"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting"
Small: Nature is a mutable cloud which is always and never the same
"Nature is a mutable cloud which is always and never the same"
Small: It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them
"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them"
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