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Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882). Born in Boston in 1803 Brought up in a strictly religious household Went 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 - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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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”