Ralph Waldo Emerson: Essays and Lectures. Book Two (8).

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:

“Everything English is a fusion of distant and antagonistic elements.” P. 793. ………. “[The Saxons] have the taste for toil, a distaste for pleasure or repose and the telescopic appreciation for distant gain.” P. 807. ………. “The bias of the nation [England] is a passion for utility.” P. 811. ………. “The nearer we look, the more artificial is their [the British] social system.” P. 818. ………. “The laborer is a possible lord; the lord is a possible basket-maker.” P. 820. ……… “Machinery has been applied to all work, and carried to such perfection, that little is left for the men but to mind the engines and feed the furnaces.” P. 822. ……….. “In short, every one of these islanders [the English] is an island himself, safe, tranquil, incommunicable.” P. 823. ………. “[The English]…inexorable on points of form.” P. 824. ………. “The English power resides also in their dislike of change.” P. 826. ………. “An Englishman understates, avoids the superlative, checks himself in compliments….” P. 831. ………. “The Englishman who visits Mount Etna will carry his tea kettle to the top.” P. 834. ………. “[The English]…believe that where there is no enjoyment of life, there can be no vigor and art in speech or thought: that your merry heart goes all the way, your sad one tires in a mile.” P. 836.

To be continued.