About

Sketching a Background

Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 - April 27, 1882)is notably, one of America's most influential thinkers, philosophers, and writers. Through the years, Emerson's eloquent works have remained commanding, and a sure source of inspiration. In all his works, he discusses the pressures of society and his urge for individualism and non-conformity.

Perhaps the most prominent of his works is Nature, an essay addressing his philosophy of Transcendalism that centers around the "mystical unity of nature" that lead to a major cultural movement in America.

Although having long left his mark in history, Emerson's works are widely quoted in more often works such as the television production of Anne of Green Gables where his line: Hitch your wagon to a star is used.

Personal Experience

I first picked up Emerson's works after perusing the autobiographies of Lucy Maud Montgomery. Her biographies made several close referenes to Emerson that sparked my interest. From there, I indulged in his essay Self-Reliance in which he stresses originality, believing in one's own genius and living from within. It is from this essay that this fanlisting's tagline of sorts is found: "Envy is ignorance, imitation is suicide."

For your enjoyment, I share with you a few of my favorite quotes:

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with his friendship.

The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one.

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion.

The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried.

Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.