Literature Network » Ralph Waldo Emerson

Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: The Poet

Content courtesy of

From: Monarch Notes
Date: 19630101
Author:Emerson, Ralph Waldo

Emerson, Ralph Waldo
Monarch Notes
01-01-1963
The Poet:

Emerson's main notions about poetry are to be found in his essay "The
Poet," which contains many valuable flashes of wisdom about poetry. First of
these is his assertion that there is complete naturalness in being a poet: "In
love, in art, in avarice, in politics, in labor, in games, we study to utter
our painful secret. The man is only half himself, the other half is his
expression." In other words, people find in poetry what they feel, but cannot
perform-their expression of self. Emerson insists that the poet is not
fanciful, or out of ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

Other Articles on Ralph Waldo Emerson

About Our Articles: We've partnered with Highbeam Research to provide these article excerpts for your research needs. However, due to copyright laws, we cannot publish the whole article. To view these articles in full length you'll need to use the link above to access the free trial at Highbeam.