Ralph Waldo Emerson: Essays and Lectures. Book One (5).

1803 -1882. New York: Literary Classics of the United States. 1983.

Why read it? Emerson’s unit of thought is the epigrammatic sentences. Emerson writes a poetic prose. Emerson’s beliefs—that each man shares in the Over-Soul, or God, that man possesses, within himself, the means to all knowledge—expressed in his memorable sentences, are of central importance in the history of American culture. The only trouble is most of his ideas are half-truths.

Ideas:

“There are degrees in idealism.” p. 407. ……….. “Conversation is a game of circles.” p. 408. ………. “We can never see Christianity from the Catechism—from the pastures, from a boat in the pond, from amidst the songs of wood-birds, we possibly may.” p. 409. ………. “One man’s justice is another man’s injustice; one man’s beauty, another’s ugliness; one man’s wisdom, another’s folly….” p. 410. ……….”Thus there is no sleep, no pause, no preservation, but all things renew, germinate, and spring.” p. 412. ………. “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” p. 414. ………. “Life is a series of surprises.” p. 413. ………. Oliver Cromwell: “A man never rises so high as when he knows not where he is going.” p. 414. ………. “….the wisest doctor is graveled [confused, perplexed] by the inquisitiveness of a child.” p. 417. ………. “You have first an instinct, then an opinion, then a knowledge, as the plant has root, bud and fruit.” p. 419. ………. “God offers to every mind its choice between truth and repose.” p. 425. ………. “Thus, historically viewed, it as been the office of art to educate the perception of beauty.” p. 432.

To be continued.