Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Born on May 25, 1803 in Boston Massachusetts
- Died on April 27, 1882 in Concord Massachusetts
- American essayist and poet
- Graduated from Harvard University
- Leading figures of Transcendentalism
- Stand against slavery
After graduating from Harvard University, Emerson decided to help William, his brother, school the young women. He became the school principal when his brother went studying abroad. During the elevation of his life, both of his brothers, Edward and Charles both died from tuberculosis in the early 1800's; therefore deteriorating his life for a few years.
Emerson quickly fell in love with Ellen Louisa Tucker in Concord, which later became his first wife in 1827. They quickly moved back to Boston, where Emerson's mother could take care of young Ellen. At the age of 18 Ellen is already suffering from tuberculosis. Ellen died after two years at the age of 20 and Emerson suddenly lost the anchor in his life and he believes that the only way to stay connected with his beloved wife was to visit her grave everyday.
The death of Ellen Louisa was significant and marks the turning point of Emerson's life. He started to question the existence of God and began to disagree with church's beliefs. In 1832 he traveled around Europe and met some famous writers which he greatly influenced. After returning to United States after a year, he started to lecture on the topic intuition and spiritual beliefs. In 1835, Emerson married Lydia Jackson and focused on developing his essays and poets in his 50's and 60's.
In 1860, Emerson published The Conduct Life which convey the core ideas of Transcendentalism. He demonstrated his beliefs on nonconformity and Self Reliance in his article. Despite the failing health conditions, he still managed to publish numerous books in his later life, which conveys the idea of intuition, nature, the universal soul, individualism, and his hatred towards slavery. These ideas later influenced Walt Whitman, Henry David Thoreau, and many other famous essayists and poets. Ralph Waldo Emerson could be refer as one of the greatest writers in the 19th century and the leader of Transcendentalism.
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson