Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American writer in the 1800s. He was also a preacher and critic. Emerson was a leader in the American Renaissance. He wrote and spoke about creating a new American culture that was its own. He did not want America to be tied to England or other countries in Europe. He felt that America should create a culture that was unique.

Emerson was born in Boston in 1803. His father, a minister, died when Emerson was eight. Emerson was raised by his mother, who worked as a maid and sold the family's belongings to provide for her children. His Aunt Mary was very important to him. She taught him values such as, "Always do what you are afraid to do" and "Lift your aims." She would influence him for his whole life.

Emerson had problems with his breathing and sight in his youth. He traveled to warmer climates in the South where he could breathe easier in the winter. He also suffered from periods of blindness. Yet he was a bright, hardworking student.

Emerson went to Harvard University. He also taught at a private girls' school. He didn't like teaching, however. His aunt reminded him that there had been many ministers in his family. Emerson went back to school and became a minister, too.

Emerson married Ellen Tucker, but she became ill and died less than two years after the wedding. He left his church and traveled around Europe. After a few months, he moved to England.

There, Emerson became friends with some of the most important thinkers of the time. Talking with these men helped him form new ideas about life and people. He returned to America in 1834 with a new point of view.

Emerson became a lecturer and writer. He spoke about nature and how it is connected to man. He fought against slavery and for the rights of Native Americans. He worked for peace and better school systems. He wanted fairer laws for women. He spoke to groups about working to becoming better people. He felt strongly that people should not just act the way they were expected to. He thought people should be true to themselves.

People all around the country came to hear Emerson speak. He spoke about topics such as science, religion, and literature. People from all walks of life came to hear him. Some even admitted that they did not understand his ideas. He was such a good lecturer that they came anyway.

Emerson married again in 1835. He and his wife had five children. His oldest, Waldo, died when he was only five. Waldo's death inspired one of Emerson's best poems.

Emerson tried to live the way he thought. He ate a vegetarian diet for a while because of his strong connection with nature. He asked his servants to sit and eat with his family at the dinner table. Some of his friends and colleagues lived with his family for many months.

Although he was a bit radical in how he thought and lived, Emerson was also very serious. He wore a black suit. He didn't like loud, rowdy behavior. He hated to hear people gossip. People could not joke with him about things like death or love. Nobody called him by his first name. Even his wife called him "Mr. E."

Yet Emerson was well liked by many people. He made great friendships with writers, poets, and artists. These people would spend time with him sharing ideas, reading, and discussing news of the day. These people became very important to the American Renaissance. The art they created spread the new American culture.

Emerson was not jealous of what other writers could do. He celebrated their work and helped them instead. For example, he wrote a letter praising the poet Walt Whitman. He told Whitman that his work was "extraordinary." He was happy to help young writers improve their work. He even let Henry David Thoreau live with him as he started his writing career.

Emerson started a magazine to spread this new American culture. He hired a woman to edit the magazine. This was highly unusual for the time. Most of the writers received little or no pay. The journal published some of the first material by some of the most important writers of the time.

Emerson wrote essays on the topic of friendship. In one essay, Emerson said, "...the only way to have a friend is to be one." He lived by these words. He offered his home to people who needed it. He helped writers learn their craft. He gave women and slaves a voice when others would not.

Then in 1872, the Concord home in which he lived with his wife and raised his children burned down. Emerson was very depressed. His friends sent him on a trip to Europe and Egypt. While he was gone, they rebuilt the house. As a gift, they also built a library in the new home. They restocked it with the books that Emerson loved. It showed the love that his many friends felt for him.

The city of Concord came out to celebrate the writer's return home. As Emerson and his daughter came back from their trip, they saw crowds cheering and a band playing. Children sang a song called "Home Sweet Home." The entire crowd marched along with the family as they rode to the new home. Once there, Emerson told the crowd, "My friends! I know that this is not a tribute to an old man and his daughter returned to their house, but to the common blood of us all—one family-in Concord!"

Emerson was not well in his later years. He gave lectures when he could. Sometimes he was not able to stand to speak. His memory began to fail him. He became ill after a walk in the rainy woods near his home. Emerson died a month short of his 79th birthday. Again, the town of Concord came out to honor their friend. Bells rang out once for each year he lived. People covered windows in the town with black cloth. So many people were expected to come to the funeral that the floors of the church had to be strengthened to hold the extra weight. A headline in the newspaper called his death, "Concord's Irreparable Loss."

1.	SKIM AND SCAN Skim the selection. What do you think it is about?
2.	DRAW CONCLUSIONS After reading the first paragraph, what type of person do you think Ralph Waldo Emerson was?
3.	VISUALIZE What would you expect Aunt Mary to look like?
4.	CLARIFY Why did Emerson go to the South when he was young?
5.	DRAW CONCLUSIONS Why do you think Emerson might have moved to England?
6.	CLARIFY What did Emerson speak and write about?
7.	PARAPHRASE AND SUMMARIZE What is the author saying in this paragraph?
8.	DRAW CONCLUSIONS Why might Emerson have asked his servants to sit and eat with his family?
9.	VISUALIZE From this paragraph, how do you imagine Emerson looked?
10.	CLARIFY What does it mean that Emerson "helped writers learn their craft"?
11.	PREDICT How do you think Emerson's friends and hometown dealt with his death?
12.	DRAW CONCLUSIONS Why was Emerson's death called "Concord's Irreparable Loss"?