The Illustrated Emerson: Essays and Poems

About this book

Essays and Poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson is part of the Barnes & Noble Classicsseries which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader including new scholarship thoughtful design and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics: New introductions commissioned from todays top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical biographical and cultural events Footnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations parodies poems books plays paintings operas statuary and films inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Study questions to challenge the readers viewpoints and expectations Bibliographies for further reading Indices & Glossaries when appropriate All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. Barnes & Noble Classics pulls together a constellation of influencesbiographical historical and literaryto enrich each readers understanding of these enduring works. As an adolescent America searched for its unique identity among the nations of the world a number of thinkers and writers emerged eager to share their vision of what the American character could be. Among their leaders was Ralph Waldo Emerson whose essays lectures and poems defined the American transcendentalist movement though he himself disliked the term. Emerson advocates a rejection of fear-driven conformity a total independence of thought and spirit and a life lived in harmony with nature. He believes that Truth lies within each individual for each is part of a greater whole a universal over-soul through which we transcend the merely mortal. Emerson was extremely prolific throughout his life; his collected writings fill forty volumes. This edition contains his major works including Nature the essays Self-Reliance The American Scholar The Over-Soul Circles The Poet and Experience and such important poems as The Rhodora Uriel The Humble-Bee Earth-Song Give All to Love and the well-loved Concord Hymn. Includes a comprehensive glossary of names. Peter Norberg has been Assistant Professor of English at Saint Josephs University in Philadelphia since 1997. A specialist in New England transcendentalism and the history of the antebellum period he also has published on Herman Melvilles poetry. He currently is writing a history of Emersons career as a public lecturer.