An introduction to
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Transcendentalists
Mrs. Jimenez
English III
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Known as the “Father of
Transcendentalism”
Mentor to Henry David
Thoreau
Emerson wrote essays
It is not what an author writes
which makes him remembered,
it is what he has to
say…Emerson does not use the
guise of storytelling. He writes
his philosophy straightforward.
Titles of his essays...
 Self-Reliance
 The Over-Soul
 Love
 Character
 Friendship
 Gifts
 Nature
 Politics
 Intellect
 Compensation
 Art
 Heroism
 Experience
 and more!
A word on Emerson’s Essays
“I read and reread Emerson because
he is that almost extinct species, the
reflective man of letters, the
meditative essayist, the thoughtful
writer of a prose which has…the
magical effects of poetry.”
---Irwin Edman
A short Biography of
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Essayist, poet, philosopher...
I. Emerson’s Childhood
Born on May 25, 1803
Fourth of eight children (3 died
in infancy)
Father, William Emerson, was
the sixth in a line of ministers
Strict, frugal household
I. Emerson’s Childhood Cont’d
 Father died when Emerson was eight
years old
 His paternal aunt, Mary Moody
Emerson, moved in to help with the
children and became Emerson’s
intellectual role model.
 Mary Moody Emerson identified with
the new views of the Romantic Age
II. Emerson’s Education
At the age of fourteen Emerson
entered Harvard
He was “Class Poet”--after six
classmates declined
Graduated in the middle of his
class--30th out of 59 students
II. Emerson’s Education cont’d
More important was his
informal education, both
intellectual and emotional
III. Minister/Unitarianism
Emerson served as a guest
minister for many years
In 1829 Emerson started to
preach at his own pulpit
IV. Marriage
Emerson fell in love with Ellen
Tucker
Married at age 26
After six months, Ellen fell ill
She died after 2 years of
marriage
IV. Marriage Cont’d
 Emerson’s grief was strong and long
lasting
 A year after her death, he reopened
Ellen’s coffin to deal with his grief
 He quit his job as minister
 Emerson used his remaining salary to
sail to Europe on Christmas day for a 9
month stay
V. A New Life
Emerson returned in 1833 and
began a new career as lecturer,
essayist and poet
Ellen’s estate provided an annual
salary, he supplemented it by
giving guest sermons
V. A New Life Cont’d
Started to associate with
intellectuals of Massachusetts
In 1835 married Lydia Jackson
Published his first work, “Nature”
In 1837, met Henry David Thoreau,
who became his disciple
VI. The Transcendentalists
In the late 1830’s, Emerson
became the “chief spokesperson
for the Transcendentalists”
He gave many famous lectures
which were later published
Very successful professionally
VII. Later Life
Emerson’s views became very
controversial. He spoke out publicly
against slavery and for women’s
rights
Essays started to lose some vitality
Respected and honored for his
intellectual contributions
VIII. Death of Emerson
In his last few years, Emerson
suffered from aphasia (lose the
power to comprehend or use
words, usually resulting from a
brain lesion)
Died on April 27, 1882 (at the age of
78)