Ralph Waldo Emerson: Essays and Lectures. Book One (6).

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

Why read it? Emerson’s unit of thought is the epigrammatic sentence. 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:

“…the beauty of things, which becomes a new, and higher beauty when expressed.” P. 452. ………. “But the quality of the imagination is to flow, and not to freeze.” P. 463 ……….. “In times when we thought ourselves indolent, we have afterwards discovered, that much was accomplished and much was begun in us.” P. 471. ………. “Life is a train of moods…and, as we pass through them, they prove to be many-colored lenses which paint the world their own hue, and each shows only what lies in its focus.” P. 473. ………. “Nature, as we know her, is no saint.” P. 481. ………. “…and the true romance…will be the transformation of genius into practical power.” P. 492. ………. “…such men are often solitary, or if they chance to be social, do not need society, but can entertain themselves very well alone.” P. 495. ………. “…and if the people should destroy class after class, until two men only were left, one of these would be the leader, and would be involuntarily served and copied by the other.” P. 518. ………. “He is a good man who can receive a gift well.” ………. “There are days which occur in this climate, at almost any season of the year, wherein the world reaches its perfection…when everything that has life gives sign of satisfaction, and the cattle that lie on the ground seem to have great and tranquil thoughts.” P. 541. ………. “All promise outruns the performance.” P. 552. ………. “Every end is prospective of some other end, which is also temporary; a round and final success nowhere.” P. 552.

End of Book One.