Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
Author of Essays: First Series and Second Series
About the Author
Known primarily as the leader of the philosophical movement transcendentalism, which stresses the ties of humans to nature, Ralph Waldo Emerson, American poet and essayist, was born in Boston in 1803. From a long line of religious leaders, Emerson became the minister of the Second Church show more (Unitarian) in 1829. He left the church in 1832 because of profound differences in interpretation and doubts about church doctrine. He visited England and met with British writers and philosophers. It was during this first excursion abroad that Emerson formulated his ideas for Self-Reliance. He returned to the United States in 1833 and settled in Concord, Massachusetts. He began lecturing in Boston. His first book, Nature (1836), published anonymously, detailed his belief and has come to be regarded as his most significant original work on the essence of his philosophy of transcendentalism. The first volume of Essays (1841) contained some of Emerson's most popular works, including the renowned Self-Reliance. Emerson befriended and influenced a number of American authors including Henry David Thoreau. It was Emerson's practice of keeping a journal that inspired Thoreau to do the same and set the stage for Thoreau's experiences at Walden Pond. Emerson married twice (his first wife Ellen died in 1831 of tuberculosis) and had four children (two boys and two girls) with his second wife, Lydia. His first born, Waldo, died at age six. Emerson died in Concord on April 27, 1882 at the age of 78 due to pneumonia and is buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Series
Works by Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Spiritual Emerson: Essential Works by Ralph Waldo Emerson (Tarcher Cornerstone Editions) (2003) 114 copies
The Complete Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Containing All of His Inspiring Essays, Lectures, Poems, Addresses,… (1929) 71 copies
Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson-Including essays, first and second series, English Traits, Nature and Considerations by… (1935) 36 copies
Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson,: Including Essays, first and second series, English traits, Nature and Conduct of life (1941) 36 copies
The tao of Emerson : the wisdom of the tao te ching as found in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson (2007) 35 copies
Collected Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson (The Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson in One Volume Including the… (1941) 31 copies
Selections from Self-reliance, Friendship, Compensation, and other great writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1969) 21 copies
Select Essays and Addresses Including The American Scholar [MacMillan's Pocket Classics] (1914) 19 copies
The gospel of Emerson 17 copies
Emersons Complete Writings - the Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson in Six Volumes: V. XI Miscellanies and V. XII Na (1923) 11 copies
Natural Abundance: Ralph Waldo Emerson's Guide to Prosperity (Library of Hidden Knowledge) (2011) 10 copies
The Complete Sermons of Ralph Waldo Emerson (The Complete Sermons of Ralph Waldo Emerson in Four Volumes, Volume 4) (1989) 10 copies
Essays of Montaigne (vol. 9) 10 copies
THE COMPLETE ESSAYS OF RALPH WALDO EMERSON (Special Kindle Illustrated and Annotated Edition) All of Ralph Waldo… (2011) 9 copies
Zeven essays 8 copies
On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History/Representative Men (1965) — Contributor — 8 copies
The Complete Sermons of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Volume 2 (COMPL SERMONS RALPH W EMERSON) (1990) 7 copies
The Hermetic Book of Nature: An American Revolution in Consciousness (Studies in Religion and Literature) (1997) 7 copies
THE COMPLETE WRITINGS OF RALPH WALDO EMERSON- COMPLETE IN 2 VOLS. OF WHICH THIS IS VOLUME 2 (1929) 6 copies
The Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson in Six Volumes 'Current Opinion Edition'; Volumes XI and XII (1923) 6 copies
My Little Book of Emerson 6 copies
Journals and Miscellaneous Notebooks of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Volume VII: 1838-1842 (Journals & Miscellaneous Notebooks… (1969) 6 copies
Ralph Waldo Emerson: Complete Collection of Works with analysis and historical background (Annotated and Illustrated)… (2014) 6 copies
Ralph Waldo Emerson on Self-Reliance: Advice, Wit, and Wisdom from the Father of Transcendentalism (2014) 5 copies
Journals and Miscellaneous Notebooks of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Volume X: 1847-1848 (Journals & Miscellaneous Notebooks of… (1973) 5 copies
The Complete Sermons of Ralph Waldo Emerson VOL 1(Emerson, Ralph Waldo//Complete Sermons of Ralph Waldo Emerson) (1989) 5 copies
Compensation, self-reliance, and other essays,: By Ralph Waldo Emerson; ed. by Mary A. Jordan (The Riverside literature (1907) 5 copies
THE COMPLETE WRITINGS OF RALPH WALDO EMERSON- COMPLETE IN 2 VOLS. OF WHICH THIS IS VOLUME 1 (1929) 5 copies
Emerson's Poems 4 copies
Literary ethics an oration delivered before the literary societies of Dartmouth College, July 24, 1838 (2014) 4 copies
The 21st Century Emerson Collection: The Collected Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson ~ 385 Works with Active Table of… (2010) 4 copies
Andliga lagar och andra essayer 4 copies
The Wisdom of a Great American (Basic Selections From Emerson Essays, Poems, & Apothegms) (1954) 4 copies
The Journals and Miscellaneous Notebooks of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Volume XVI, 1866-1882 (1982) 3 copies
Journals and Miscellaneous Notebooks of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Volume V: 1835-1838 (Journals & Miscellaneous Notebooks of… (1965) 3 copies
The Best Read Naturalist": Nature Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson (Under the Sign of Nature) (2017) 3 copies
Livsvägar : essayer 3 copies
The journals of Ralph Waldo Emerson 3 copies
The Emancipation of the Negroes in the British West Indies: An Address Delivered at Concord, Massachusetts, on 1st… (1844) 3 copies
Emersons Complete Writings - the Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson in Six Volume: (1923) 3 copies
The Snow-Storm {poem} 3 copies
Little Masterpieces: Ralph Waldo Emerson — Author — 3 copies
Essays And Journals 3 copies
Transcendentalists Collection (Illustrated): Walden, Walking, Self-Reliance and Nature (2020) 2 copies
Nature and art, 2 copies
Inglaterra y el carácter inglés 2 copies
Emerson's theory of poetry 2 copies
Pearls of wisdom 2 copies
Orations, Lectures, and Addresses 2 copies
The Essay on Friendship 2 copies
The Oversoul 2 copies
Selections from Self-Reliance, Friendship, Compensation and Other Great Writings Selections by Stanley Hendricks (1969) 2 copies
Kärlek och andra essayer 2 copies
Man the reformer a lecture read before the Mechanics' Apprentices' Library Association, at the Masonic Temple, Boston,… (2013) 2 copies
Character and Heroism 2 copies
Ensayos escogidos 2 copies
Confia em ti 2 copies
Fate 2 copies
The Essays of Ralp Waldo Emerson: The Firsr Series and the Second Series (Heritage 1934, in slipcase) (1934) 2 copies
Self-Reliance (Belle Lettres) 2 copies
The Journals and Miscellaneous Notebooks of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Volume XV, 1860-1866 (1982) 2 copies
The Riverside Library Essays 2 copies
The heart of Emerson's essays 2 copies
The Journals and Miscellaneous Notebooks of Ralph Waldo Emerson Vol III 3: 1826-1832 (1963) 2 copies
works of Ralph Waldo Emerson, The 2 copies
The Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson - Volume V - Conduct of Life, Solitude and Society, and Other Essays and Addresses (1900) 2 copies
Uncollected lectures by Ralph Waldo Emerson; reports of lectures on American life and Natural religion, reprinted from… — Author — 2 copies
The Works of Ralph Waldo Emmerson 2 copies
Selected Works 2 copies
Samfundsliv och ensamhet : essayer 2 copies
Essays - First Series 1 copy
Emerson's essays a selection 1 copy
Vertreter der Menschheit 1 copy
Les Forces De L'espirit 1 copy
Emerson and New Thought: How Emerson's Essays Influenced the Science of Mind Philosophy (2022) 1 copy
Emerson year book; selections for every day in the year from the essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson 1 copy
Essays 1 copy
Nature and Other Essays 1 copy
L'âme anglaise 1 copy
Pray Without Ceasing 1 copy
エマソン論文集 下 1 copy
Memory (An Essay) 1 copy
A confiança em si 1 copy
Natura 1 copy
Freindship 1 copy
Emerson (The American Poets) 1 copy
Szkice 1 copy
Essays - Second Series 1 copy
Essays of Emerson, The 1 copy
Emerson Essays 1 copy
EMERSONS EPIGRAM 1 copy
Essays. First and Second Series. Volume 1 of 6 Volume Uniform Three Sirens Classics Set (Volume One) 1 copy
The Law of Divine Justice 1 copy
HEROISM & OTHER ESSAYS 1 copy
On Love and Friendship 1 copy
So This Then is the Essay on Self-Reliance... Wherein is Told How, Although We Can Never be Independent... (1902) 1 copy
QUERIDO WALDO: Correspondencia entre Ralph Waldo Emerson y Henry David Thoreau (Hojas en la Hierba) (2018) 1 copy
A sermon preached at Norfolk, Connecticut, May 16, 1816, the first Sabbath after his ordination 1 copy
The Journals of Ralph Waldo Emerson abridged and edited, with an introduction by Robert N. Linscott 1 copy
American Critical Essays, XIX-XX Century (The World's Classics) — Contributor — 1 copy
On man & God 1 copy
One first love; the letters of Ellen Louisa Tucker to Ralph Waldo EmersonOne First Love; the Letters of Ellen Louisa… (1962) 1 copy
Light of Emerson;: A complete digest with key-word concordance; the cream of all he wrote; majestic, inspiring,… (1979) 1 copy
Upravljanje životom 1 copy
“Experience” 1 copy
Fünf Essays: Selbstständigkeit - Eine Vorlesung - Der Dichter - Persönlichkeit - Manieren (2022) 1 copy
Experience [Annotated] 1 copy
Concord Hymn 1 copy
The Writings of Henry David Thoreau: With Bibliographical Introductions and Full Indexes. in Ten Volumes, Volume 8 (2016) 1 copy
The Writings of Henry David Thoreau: With Bibliographical Introductions and Full Indexes. in Ten Volumes, Volume 6 (2016) 1 copy
Self-Reliance, Nature, and Other Essays (Royal Collector's Edition) (Case Laminate Hardcover with Jacket) (2021) 1 copy
Die Tagebücher 1 copy
Uses of great men 1 copy
La confiança en un mateix 1 copy
O pensamento vivo de Emerson 1 copy
the book of friendship 1 copy
Essays Emerson 1 copy
emerson's essays; bk13 1 copy
Gospel of Emerson 1 copy
Essays R. W. Emerson 1 copy
Selected Journals 1 copy
Versuche (Essays) 1 copy
Favourite essays of Emerson 1 copy
Two unpublished essays: The character of Socrates; The present state of ethical philosophy (American literature, BAL) (1896) 1 copy
Three essays, 1 copy
Hombres simbolicos 1 copy
Indian superstition 1 copy
A Correspondence Between john sterling and ralph Waldo Emerson with a Sketch of Sterling's Life By Edward Waldo Emerson (1897) 1 copy
Emerson : Selections 1 copy
The Divinity School Address 1 copy
John Brown 1 copy
The Fugitive Slave Law 1 copy
Carlyle 1 copy
Ezra Ripley, D.D. 1 copy
The Lord's Supper 1 copy
Lo spirito energia vitale 1 copy
La presenza di Dio 1 copy
Emersons's earlier poems 1 copy
Kossuth in New England: A Full Account of the Hungarian Governor's Visit to Massachusetts; With His Speeches, and… (2009) 1 copy
The Journals and Miscellaneous Notebooks of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Volume XI, 1848-1851 (Journals and Miscellaneous… (1975) 1 copy
The Journals and Miscellaneous Notebooks of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Volume XIV, 1854-1861 (Journals and Miscellaneous… (1978) 1 copy
Works of Emerson 1 copy
Education,: An essay and other selections, (Riverside educational monographs, ed. by H. Suzzallo) 1 copy
Friendship : selections 1 copy
From "Journals" 1 copy
Character and Self-Reliance 1 copy
Der Briefwechsel Ralph Waldo Emerson / Herman Grimm und die Bildung von Post-mortem-Gemeinschaften (2006) 1 copy
Nature essays 1 copy
Books, art, eloquence 1 copy
Saggi 1 copy
Emerson's Parnassus 1 copy
The Journals and Miscellaneous Notebooks of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Volume XII, 1835-1862 (Journals and Miscellaneous… (1976) 1 copy
Compensation and Heroism 1 copy
Nature, addresses, and lectures. By: Ralph Waldo Emerson (Original Version): (Original Version) (2016) 1 copy
Selected Writings of 1 copy
Essays. Zweiter Teil 1 copy
Essays. Erster Teil 1 copy
Emerson's Works [8 Volumes (not a complete set) -- Representative Men: Seven Lectures; English Traits; Letters and… (1881) 1 copy
Emerson year book: Selections for every day in the year from the essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson (1977) 1 copy
COLLECTED WORKS OF RALPH WALDO EMERSON Including Essays, First and Second Series, English Traits, Nature and Conduct of… (1941) 1 copy
Early lectures 1 copy
Emerson's Prose Works 1 copy
Emerson poetry 1 copy
Everyman's Library Edited by Ernest Rhys. Essays and Belles Lettres. English Traits, Representative Men & Other… (2016) 1 copy
Complete Works vol. 11 1 copy
Complete Works vol. 10 1 copy
Complete Works vol. 7 1 copy
Complete Works vol. 6 1 copy
Complete Works vol. 4 1 copy
Complete Works vol. 3 1 copy
Complete Works vol.2 1 copy
Complete Works vol. 1 1 copy
Power, wealth, illusions 1 copy
EMERSON'S ESSAYS 1 copy
Complete Works vol. 12 1 copy
Emerson's Works: Essays (I) 1 copy
Emerson's Works: Essays (II) 1 copy
History 1 copy
Ralph Waldo Emerson : Collected Poems and Translations (Library of America) by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1994-08-01) (1779) 1 copy
Friendship and Other Essays 1 copy
Associated Works
The Best Poems of the English Language: From Chaucer Through Robert Frost (2004) — Contributor — 1,014 copies
Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama (1995) — Contributor, some editions — 902 copies
The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Volume 1 (1990) — Contributor, some editions — 250 copies
The Lincoln Anthology: Great Writers on His Life and Legacy from 1860 to Now (2008) — Contributor — 150 copies
Barack Obama: The Inaugural Address, 2009: Together with Abraham Lincoln's First and Second Inaugural Addresses and The… (2009) — Contributor — 145 copies
American Antislavery Writings: Colonial Beginnings to Emancipation (2012) — Contributor — 119 copies
Walden With Ralph Waldo Emerson's Essay on Thoreau (Everyman's Library) (1995) — Contributor — 100 copies
The Glorious American Essay: One Hundred Essays from Colonial Times to the Present (2020) — Contributor — 79 copies
Out of the Best Books: An Anthology of Literature, Vol. 1: The Individual and Human Values (1964) — Contributor — 40 copies
Published and Perished: Memoria, Eulogies, and Remembrances of American Writers (2002) — Contributor — 36 copies
Buzz Words: Poems About Insects (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets Series) (2021) — Contributor — 29 copies
Out of the Best Books: An Anthology of Literature, Vol. 5: Community Responsibility (1969) — Contributor — 29 copies
Out of the Best Books: An Anthology of Literature, Vol. 4: The World Around Us (1968) — Contributor — 29 copies
The Greatest War Stories Ever Told: Twenty-Four Incredible War Tales (2001) — Contributor — 26 copies
American Literature: The Makers and the Making (In Two Volumes) (1973) — Contributor, some editions — 25 copies
La poesía inglesa románticos y victorianos — Contributor — 4 copies
The American Bible (Elbert Hubbard's Selected Writings, Part 12) (v. 12) (1928) — Contributor — 3 copies
Plutarch's Essays — Introduction, some editions — 1 copy
Crossing a bare common: Responses to Emerson from poets in Japan and America (2019) — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Emerson, Ralph Waldo
- Birthdate
- 1803-05-25
- Date of death
- 1882-04-27
- Burial location
- Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Massachusetts, USA
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Place of death
- Concord, Massachusetts, USA
- Cause of death
- pneumonia
- Places of residence
- Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Concord, Massachusetts, USA
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
St. Augustine, Florida, USA
Concord, New Hampshire, USA - Education
- Harvard College (BA|1821)
Boston Latin School
Harvard Divinity School - Occupations
- poet
essayist
teacher
cleric - Relationships
- Emerson, Ellen Louisa Tucker (spouse)
Emerson, Ellen Tucker (daughter)
Emerson, Edward Waldo (son)
Alcott, Bronson (friend)
Alcott, Louisa May (student)
Fuller, Margaret (friend) (show all 12)
James, William (godson)
Thoreau, Henry David (friend)
Mill, John Stuart (friend)
Wordsworth, William (friend)
Jackson, Lidian (wife)
Tappan, Caroline Sturgis (friend) - Organizations
- Congregational Church
Transcendentalist movement - Awards and honors
- The Hall of Fame for Great Americans (1900)
Bowdoin Prize (1820)
Bowdoin Prize (1821)
Phi Beta Kappa (1828)
Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1864)
American Philosophical Society (1867)
Members
Reviews
Self-Reliance and Other Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson
7 essays
An introduction to the thought of Emerson.
A thought experiment to understand the relationship between people and nature.
It is interesting to ask and reflect on whether our more detailed description of the properties of nature changes things or simply adds color and depth to Emerson’s perspective.
A thought experiment to understand the relationship between people and nature.
It is interesting to ask and reflect on whether our more detailed description of the properties of nature changes things or simply adds color and depth to Emerson’s perspective.
Read “Self-Reliance” and “The Divinity School Address,” that’s about it. Not knocked out but I have a hard time grasping older writing so I assume the shortcoming is mine and not the text. Also things like this I’ve probably absorbed so much of it secondhand in my life that the stuff seems obvious or banal or whatever - I’m sure it wasn’t in his day, and he must have seemed original and shocking , but it just doesn’t set me on fire.
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Statistics
- Works
- 689
- Also by
- 64
- Members
- 17,860
- Popularity
- #1,231
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 84
- ISBNs
- 1,014
- Languages
- 21
- Favorited
- 92
- Touchstones
- 139
