Published first in 1841 in Essays and then in the 1847 revised edition of Essays, “Self-Reliance” took shape over a long period of time. Throughout his life, Emerson kept detailed journals of his thoughts and actions, and he returned to them as a source for many of his essays. Such […]
Read more Summary and Analysis of Self-Reliance About Self-RelianceSummary and Analysis of The Over-Soul Glossary
sod Grassy surface soil. mean Worth little. calculator A mathematician. pensioner One who is dependent on another for economic well-being. droll Amusing or farcical. “Can crowd . . . to eternity” Spoken by Lucifer in Cain (1821), by the English romantic poet Lord George Byron (1788-1824). Plato (c. 427-347 B.C.) […]
Read more Summary and Analysis of The Over-Soul GlossarySummary and Analysis of The Over-Soul Paragraphs 22-30 – The Soul and the Individual
In this final section, Emerson discusses the importance of individual character as a defining measure of the Over-Soul. A person who is spiritually close to the Over-Soul has a virtuous character and performs noble acts because the Over-Soul influences these actions: “If he have found his centre, the Deity will […]
Read more Summary and Analysis of The Over-Soul Paragraphs 22-30 – The Soul and the IndividualSummary and Analysis of The Over-Soul Paragraphs 16-21 – Revelation
Although Emerson claims that God is within us, he faces the problem of explaining how we come to recognize this existence. His answer lies in what he terms Revelation, “an influx of the Divine mind into our mind.” Note that he does not use the plural “minds” to describe our […]
Read more Summary and Analysis of The Over-Soul Paragraphs 16-21 – RevelationSummary and Analysis of The Over-Soul Paragraphs 11-15 – The Soul and Society
Emerson now focuses on how the Over-Soul unites people and manifests itself in society. He asserts that God’s spirit is present in our every conversation: “In all conversation between two persons, tacit reference is made as to a third party, to a common nature. That third party is not social; […]
Read more Summary and Analysis of The Over-Soul Paragraphs 11-15 – The Soul and SocietySummary and Analysis of The Over-Soul Paragraphs 4-10 – The Over-Soul Is Defined
Admitting that the Over-Soul cannot be known through language, Emerson defines the Over-Soul by clarifying what it is not, a stylistic device that he uses throughout the essay. According to him, “All goes to show that the soul in man is not an organ . . . is not a […]
Read more Summary and Analysis of The Over-Soul Paragraphs 4-10 – The Over-Soul Is DefinedSummary and Analysis of The Over-Soul Paragraphs 1-3 – Introduction
In this first section, Emerson introduces the theme of accessibility, familiar to readers of his other essays. God is accessible to all people, whether they actively seek a personal spirituality or not. Recalling More’s belief that moral ideas are innate, Emerson asserts that there exists a “spirit of prophecy which […]
Read more Summary and Analysis of The Over-Soul Paragraphs 1-3 – IntroductionSummary and Analysis of The Over-Soul About The Over-Soul
“The Over-Soul” is the ninth essay in the 1841 edition of Emerson’s Essays, and it remains one of the best sources of information about his faith. In it, he outlines his belief in a God who resides in each of us and whom we can communicate with, without membership in […]
Read more Summary and Analysis of The Over-Soul About The Over-SoulSummary and Analysis of The American Scholar Glossary
Troubadours A class of lyric poets and poet-musicians, they lived in southern France in the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries and composed poems of love and chivalry. sere Withered. constellation Harp another name for Lyra, a constellation of stars in the northern hemisphere; it contains Vega, the fourth brightest star […]
Read more Summary and Analysis of The American Scholar GlossarySummary and Analysis of The American Scholar Paragraphs 31-45 – The Scholar’s Duties
After Emerson has discussed how nature, books, and action educate the scholar, he now addresses the scholar’s obligations to society. First, he considers these obligations in general, abstract terms; then he relates them to the particular situation of the American scholar. The scholar’s first and most important duty is to […]
Read more Summary and Analysis of The American Scholar Paragraphs 31-45 – The Scholar’s Duties