Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

RALPH WALDO EMERSON(1803-1882)

Born in Boston in 1803Brought up in a strictly religious

householdWent to Harvard to study the

ministry, like the eight generations before him◦Read a great deal of philosophy and

theology

Accepted a ministry post at age 25

His young wife died 17 months later of tuberculosis

Started having doubts about some of his religious doctrines◦Left his position and traveled

throughout Europe Met up with Coleridge and Wordsworth

Moved back to the States and remarriedHis first major work was an essay called

“Nature”Started to give lecturesAt Harvard, gave famous “The American

Scholar” speech◦ Implored American scholars to free themselves

from the pastGave another speech at Harvard: “Divinity-

School Address”◦Seemed anti-religious & wasn’t invited back to

Harvard for three decades

Resided in ConcordWas a leader of the

TranscendentalistsMet often with other famous

writers/thinkers of the era◦Henry David Thoreau was his “pupil”

His son, Waldo, died of scarlet fever at age 5 (1842)◦Wasn’t quite the same emotionally after that

Suffered major memory loss in later years◦Couldn’t recall ordinary words

Referred to himself as a poet, even though he wrote prose

Nicknamed the “Sage of Concord”The intellectual center of the “American

Renaissance”