Ralph Waldo Emerson emerges as a distinctly American writer after the Revolution.
Group Work:
How does Emerson bring the land into his construction of American identity in Nature? Compare Nature with Thomas Cole's painting of the Catskill Mountains. Can you find the person in this majestic painting?
American Scholarship
Emerson is distinctive because he was a philosopher and scholar who gained international attention for his work. The nature of the "American Scholar" is debated in the essay the "The American Scholar."
Group Work:
Break into groups and identify the influences on the American scholar in order of importance (according to Emerson)?
Individualism and the Nation
According to Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America (1830s), the term "individualism" was coined to express a new idea, distinct from the egoism of the previous generation.
What is individualism?
De Tocqueville defines individualism as "a calm and considered feeling which disposes each citizen to isolate himself from the mass of his fellows and withdraw into the circle of his family and friends; with this little society formed to his taste, he gladly leaves the greater society to look after himself."
How does this compare with your definition? How does it compare with the popular definition of individualism embodied by this advertisement?
American Nature
American identity and the natural world are merged in both fiction and non-fiction texts from this week. Nature looms large in constructions of American identity. Why do you think that is? Thomas Cole is (relatively) contemporary with Emerson, Irving, and Bryant. Break into groups and consider the ways Cole, Emerson and Bryant portray humans in relation to the American landscape.
Groups 1 and 2, identify two lines from Bryant that relate to these two paintings.
Groups 3 and 4, identify two passages from Emerson that relate to these two paintings.
Transcendentalism is an American literary, political, and philosophical movement of the early nineteenth century, centered around Ralph Waldo Emerson. Other important transcendentalists were Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Amos Bronson Alcott, Frederic Henry Hedge, and Theodore Parker. Stimulated by English and German Romanticism, the Biblical criticism of Herder and Schleiermacher, and the skepticism of Hume, the transcendentalists operated with the sense that a new era was at hand. They were critics of their contemporary society for its unthinking conformity, and urged that each person find, in Emerson's words, “an original relation to the universe” (O, 3). Emerson and Thoreau sought this relation in solitude amidst nature, and in their writing. By the 1840s they, along with other transcendentalists, were engaged in the social experiments of Brook Farm, Fruitlands, and Walden; and, by the 1850s in an increasingly urgent critique of American slavery. Retrieved from the Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
In the "American Scholar," Emerson discusses the old fable of the "One Man," and relates it to the idea of an American Scholar. This man encompasses the entire community and yet dissolves into the material and natural world around him. According to Emerson, what are the most important influences upon this American Scholar (see pp538-39)? What is the ultimate goal of this scholar?
Katelyn & Carah
What characteristics of a scholar are mentioned by Emerson in "The American Scholar"?
-a scholar has a deep ideal interest in the moving show around him.
-shows identity and "connexion".
-is the attorney of the world and can never be superfluous.
-will be known by an energy that will animate all that see him.
-the name of a Scholar is taken in vain.
-A speculative man and right hero.
-indispensible to the republic or commonwealth of man.
-lost in the showman.
-unfurnished and has only literary weapons.
-must be ready for bad weather.
-must be more than a scholar and his ends give value to every means but he is to subdue and keep down his methods.
-his use of books occasional and infinitely subordinate.
-cannot therefore very highly value the copy of a writing.
what are the most important influences upon this American Scholar
"twinges for our sloth and unfaithfulness: — the influence I speak of is of a higher strain. Stung by this intellectual conscience, we go to measure our tasks as scholars, and screw ourselves up to energy and fidelity, and our sadness is suddenly overshone by a sympathy of blessing."
Beauty, the inspirer, the cheerful festal principle, the leader of gods and men, which draws by being beautiful, and not by considerations of advantage, comes in and puts a new face on the world
What is the ultimate goal of this scholar
This, gentlemen, is the topic on which I shall *Teak, – the natural and permanent function of the Scholar, as he is no permissive or accidental appearance, but an organic agent in nature. He is here to be the beholder of the real ; self-centred amidst the superficial ; here to revere the dominion of a serene necessity and be its pupil and apprentice by tracing everything home to a cause ; here to be sobered, not by the cares of life, as men say, no, but by the depth of his draughts of the cup of immortality.
The scholar is to show, in each, identity and connexion ; he is to show its origin in the brain of man, and its secret history and issues. He is the attorney of the world, and can never be superfluous where so vast a variety of questions are ever coming up to be solved, and for ages.
Josh's solo group
The influences on the American Scholar were:
Nature. We as humans are fascinated by nature. "Nature remains irresistibly alluring."
Action. We are drawn toward action and we can't sit still in misaction.
Shekinah and Johnteasha
Nature has the most important influence on the american scholar because Emerson uses transcendentalist and romantic views to point out everything. like how it effects the mind and history in books.
Jordan, Dylon, Patrick: According to Emerson to be an American Scholar you need; A toleration for literature, don't use superstition as an escape, You have to respect yourself. You do not stray away from action, and you don't look for acceptance. And you should never be ashamed of your intellect. Must be much more than a scholar, your ends give value to every means, but your subdue and keep down your methods. Hold lightly every tradition every opinion. Your not a reader of poetry but a reader of more intellectual philosophers such as Homer, Dante, Milton, Shakspeare, and Swedenborg.
Comments (7)
Carah Dalton said
at 11:40 am on Oct 10, 2016
Katelyn & Carah
What characteristics of a scholar are mentioned by Emerson in "The American Scholar"?
-a scholar has a deep ideal interest in the moving show around him.
-shows identity and "connexion".
-is the attorney of the world and can never be superfluous.
-will be known by an energy that will animate all that see him.
-the name of a Scholar is taken in vain.
-A speculative man and right hero.
-indispensible to the republic or commonwealth of man.
-lost in the showman.
-unfurnished and has only literary weapons.
-must be ready for bad weather.
-must be more than a scholar and his ends give value to every means but he is to subdue and keep down his methods.
-his use of books occasional and infinitely subordinate.
-cannot therefore very highly value the copy of a writing.
Anthony Tufaro said
at 11:43 am on Oct 10, 2016
what are the most important influences upon this American Scholar
"twinges for our sloth and unfaithfulness: — the influence I speak of is of a higher strain. Stung by this intellectual conscience, we go to measure our tasks as scholars, and screw ourselves up to energy and fidelity, and our sadness is suddenly overshone by a sympathy of blessing."
Beauty, the inspirer, the cheerful festal principle, the leader of gods and men, which draws by being beautiful, and not by considerations of advantage, comes in and puts a new face on the world
What is the ultimate goal of this scholar
This, gentlemen, is the topic on which I shall *Teak, – the natural and permanent function of the Scholar, as he is no permissive or accidental appearance, but an organic agent in nature. He is here to be the beholder of the real ; self-centred amidst the superficial ; here to revere the dominion of a serene necessity and be its pupil and apprentice by tracing everything home to a cause ; here to be sobered, not by the cares of life, as men say, no, but by the depth of his draughts of the cup of immortality.
The scholar is to show, in each, identity and connexion ; he is to show its origin in the brain of man, and its secret history and issues. He is the attorney of the world, and can never be superfluous where so vast a variety of questions are ever coming up to be solved, and for ages.
Joshua Beckett said
at 11:43 am on Oct 10, 2016
Josh's solo group
The influences on the American Scholar were:
Nature. We as humans are fascinated by nature. "Nature remains irresistibly alluring."
Action. We are drawn toward action and we can't sit still in misaction.
Not Finished
Jara Armstrong said
at 11:43 am on Oct 10, 2016
Jara, Yaira, Adriana:
Thought and intellect, beauty, language, strength
Johnteasha said
at 11:43 am on Oct 10, 2016
Shekinah and Johnteasha
Nature has the most important influence on the american scholar because Emerson uses transcendentalist and romantic views to point out everything. like how it effects the mind and history in books.
Jordan Ackerman said
at 11:44 am on Oct 10, 2016
Jordan, Dylon, Patrick: According to Emerson to be an American Scholar you need; A toleration for literature, don't use superstition as an escape, You have to respect yourself. You do not stray away from action, and you don't look for acceptance. And you should never be ashamed of your intellect. Must be much more than a scholar, your ends give value to every means, but your subdue and keep down your methods. Hold lightly every tradition every opinion. Your not a reader of poetry but a reader of more intellectual philosophers such as Homer, Dante, Milton, Shakspeare, and Swedenborg.
Alan Bowen said
at 11:46 am on Oct 10, 2016
Alan, Tracey, Areion, D-clark
1. Don't read poetry. Read intellectual texts.
2. Be a hero and brave.
3. Don't be afraid to study.
You don't have permission to comment on this page.