Ralph Waldo Emerson, philosopher and seer : an estimate of his character and…
"Ralph Waldo Emerson, philosopher and seer : an estimate of his character and…" by A. Bronson Alcott is a literary appreciation and memorial volume written in the late 19th century. Blending essay, biography, and commemorative verse, it offers a close, admiring portrait of Emerson’s mind and manners while reflecting on his influence in American letters and culture. The likely topic is Emerson’s character, genius, and artistic method, as seen by an intimate
friend and fellow thinker. At its heart is a long essay that presents Emerson as a rhapsodist—an inspired poet-moralist whose lectures and prose moved audiences through cadence, image, and ethical insight. Alcott praises Emerson’s originality, his shaping of the Lyceum, and his American voice; contrasts his temperate charity with Carlyle’s harsher polemic; and sketches his Concord life, country walks, and mosaic method of composition. The book then turns elegiac: a lyrical monody, naming Emerson “Ion,” mourns his passing while evoking the landscapes and friendships (with veiled nods to Thoreau) that nourished his song; and an ode by F. B. Sanborn places the poet-sage among the ancients, affirming the enduring music of his thought. Framed by a publishers’ preface and personal notes, the collection reads as a warm, authoritative tribute from those who knew him best. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Alcott, Amos Bronson, 1799-1888 |
|---|---|
| LoC No. | 12030097 |
| Title | Ralph Waldo Emerson, philosopher and seer : an estimate of his character and genius in prose and verse |
| Original Publication | Boston: Cupples & Hurd, Publishers, 1882, copyright 1888. |
| Credits | Richard Tonsing, Charlene Taylor, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 65.6 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 1803-1882 |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 76296 |
| Release Date | Jun 14, 2025 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 165 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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