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110th out of 237 books
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766 voters
The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson
Introduction by Mary Oliver
Commentary by Henry James, Robert Frost, Matthew Arnold, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Henry David Thoreau
The definitive collection of Emerson’s major speeches, essays, and poetry, The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson chronicles the life’s work of a true “American Scholar.” As one of the architects of the transcendentalist movement, Emers...more
Commentary by Henry James, Robert Frost, Matthew Arnold, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Henry David Thoreau
The definitive collection of Emerson’s major speeches, essays, and poetry, The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson chronicles the life’s work of a true “American Scholar.” As one of the architects of the transcendentalist movement, Emers...more
Paperback, (Modern Library Classics), 880 pages
Published
September 12th 2000
by Modern Library
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In reading Emerson it readily becomes apparent why it is that such as Nietzsche revered his essaying person, tapping as he does into that interior reserve of the individual spirit who—whether she be isolated in starlit reclusion or thronged by fellow beings in day aglow bustle—must grapple, at the last, with the fact that she is alone and in that solitariness must self-arm to face the enduring struggle of time-taut life. I don't always agree with Emerson (or Nietzsche, for that matter) but I lov...more
Apr 07, 2012
Lisa (Harmonybites)
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Gluttons for Punishment?
Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by:
Good Reading: 100 Significant Books
American philosopher and Harvard professor Stanley Cavell claims "Emerson and Thoreau... are the founding philosophers of America" and comparable to Plato. Before reading this I tackled Thoreau. Emerson was his mentor, and they were both considered part of the Transcendental circle in mid-Century America. I found Emerson less irritating than Thoreau, but less readable and challenging. By challenging I don't mean less difficult, but less thought-provoking. I think Emerson is harder to parse, to "...more
BEAUTIFUL.
"Man is timid and apologetic; he is no longer upright; he dares not say 'I think,' 'I am,' but quotes some saint or sage. He is ashamed before the blade of grass or the blowing rose. These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are; they exist with God to-day. There is no time to them. There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence. Before a leaf-bud has burst, its whole life acts; in the full-blown fl...more
"Man is timid and apologetic; he is no longer upright; he dares not say 'I think,' 'I am,' but quotes some saint or sage. He is ashamed before the blade of grass or the blowing rose. These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are; they exist with God to-day. There is no time to them. There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its existence. Before a leaf-bud has burst, its whole life acts; in the full-blown fl...more
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It’s hard to overstate what the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson have done to awaken me to beauty and truth. Emerson packs more wisdom in one sentence than most writers articulate in a lifetime. Mary Oliver, the best selling poet in America told me simply, “Emerson is all you need.”
Though Emerson writes on a myriad of topics, his thematic core is consistent: “All things are made of one hidden stuff.” “The world globes itself in a drop of dew.” “The heart and soul of all men being one, this bitter...more
Though Emerson writes on a myriad of topics, his thematic core is consistent: “All things are made of one hidden stuff.” “The world globes itself in a drop of dew.” “The heart and soul of all men being one, this bitter...more
Ralph Waldo Emerson is probably my favorite philosopher/poet. He combines poetry and prose wonderfully, treating human affairs, emotions and morals purely as aspects of nature, and all of nature as having the same soul as people. The range of his subjects is wide and varied, from the most metaphysical aspects of reality to the most mundane actions of daily life. Despite him having written in the mid 19th century, and often writing more as a poet than most philosophers, his writing is pretty stra...more
The answers to all of my questions about life can be found in the pages of this book. Love, friendship, nature, politics, ethics, and the complex challenges that make up human experience are all examined in a moving, beautiful, eloquent and fiercely intelligent way.
A cherished part of my library.
A cherished part of my library.
Back to Basics: Reading Emerson
Reading Emerson might make readers slightly sad (more about that later), not that Emerson expresses gloom in his most influential essays: Nature, TheDivinity School Address, and Self Reliance. His words reflect the optimism he felt for the power of the individual to understand how they fit into the world and how they might serve their community and country. A child of the American Revolution, he and his audience...
Continue reading on Examiner.com: The Essential Wri...more
Don't think I'll read the whole thing, but:
At first I had no clue what Emerson was talking about, and I chalked it up to him being all transcendentalist. Then I got to "Intellect" and things started to hit home. Then I read (ironically enough) "Transcendenalist" and not only did I become convinced that (1) Emerson is worth reading and (2) Emerson is worth reading as philosophy but also that (a) he lines up well with a lot of pragmatic ideas and (b) he lines up well with a lot of my own personal...more
At first I had no clue what Emerson was talking about, and I chalked it up to him being all transcendentalist. Then I got to "Intellect" and things started to hit home. Then I read (ironically enough) "Transcendenalist" and not only did I become convinced that (1) Emerson is worth reading and (2) Emerson is worth reading as philosophy but also that (a) he lines up well with a lot of pragmatic ideas and (b) he lines up well with a lot of my own personal...more
Can anybody truly be done reading emerson?
Emerson is my favorite poet/philosopher, and this one volume contains all his writings you could ever need. I agree with Emerson wholeheartedly about 33% of the time, disagree with him vehemently about 33%, and can't decide whether I agree or not the rest of the time. But he's always compelling, even if I think he's dead wrong.
The greatest thing about Emerson is how quotable he is. There are dozens of great one-liners here. One of my favorites: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little m...more
The greatest thing about Emerson is how quotable he is. There are dozens of great one-liners here. One of my favorites: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little m...more
I have only read the "Nature" lecture but so far this as been an excellent book. It is a hard read at times but if I take the time I can always understand what he is getting at.
I enjoy gleaning fundamental truths from his paragraphs. It seems like our world would be a bit better if we took a step back and adopted some of the "old ways" to a certain extent.
I enjoy gleaning fundamental truths from his paragraphs. It seems like our world would be a bit better if we took a step back and adopted some of the "old ways" to a certain extent.
This is a very deep book--very fitting for a deep person such as myself. :o) Seriously, this book is a lot to chew and I'm only reading it for English. However, I can honestly say that the parts I understood really were kind of interesting.
I read most of this collection during an independent study during my junior year of college. I picked it up again last night and can't put it down; Emerson changed the way I think about everything.
"To the attentive eye, each moment of the year has its own beauty; and in the same field, it beholds, every hour, a picture which was never seen before and which shall never be seen again."
Emerson is by far my favorite of all time. Every essay, every quote, every writing is worthy of being read...I get something new from this book no matter how many times I read it.
Jul 30, 2011
Jeff Hrusko
added it
When driving from New Jersey to Pennsylvania, there's a sign on the border that says "America start here." Well when it comes to American literature, it starts with Emerson
What more could one want from the address given to Harvard Divinity School? I mean, not being invited back for 30 years is pretty impressive a feet. Excellent.
I find Emerson to be a bit richer with language and philosophical nuance than Thoreau, though sometimes too oblique. He works nicely in conjunction with Nietzsche.
Not always the clearest of writers, Emerson amazes me regardless. Heck, even his imprecision impresses. I love reading his works during the spring.
another book, that I consider one of my "bibles" great great spiritual help, I get from this book....he's a master, as far as I'm concerned....
Aug 18, 2012
Kris
is currently reading it
Ahhhh......if only we lived in the same era and could share a cup of coffee on a big white porch of a grand old house on main street USA.
I love Emerson. A pioneer for nonconformity and individuality as well as an advocate for the preservation of the natural world.
"Self-reliance" is my favorite of his, but I recommend the whole thing to really understand Emerson!
The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson (Modern Library Classics) by Ralph Waldo Emerson (2000)
"For himself, he declared that he could not get enough alone to write a letter to a friend."
I have never read a book that had a more profound change on my way of thinking.
this is my jack off material. gorgeous language. "self-reliance" is life changing.
one of my favorites - highly underlined, read bits every now and then
This work will change the way you think about... everything.
I love Emerson! "Experience" is my favorite essay.
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Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, poet, and leader of the Transcendentalist movement in the early nineteenth century.
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