Dueling Theories of Education December 13, 2009

Dueling Theories of Education: Emerson and The No Child Left Behind Act The proper way to educate youth has been a topic of debate for centuries. In 1837 Ralph Waldo Emerson gave an oration to the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Cambridge, addressing the topic of the American scholar. The premise of “The American Scholar” [...]

A Call to Generations: Whitman in Ginsberg November 20, 2009

Walt Whitman is often viewed as a revolutionary figure in American poetry. His first published collection of poems, Leaves of Grass, caused controversy because of its sexual overtones. Because of this, Whitman has become something of a patron saint to poets who push their generation’s moral boundaries. Allen Ginsberg and other poets of the Beat [...]

Crossing Brooklyn Ferry November 2, 2009

In his poem “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry,” Whitman describes the act of taking a ferry boat as a unifying event. Everything he sees, everything he notices, the throngs of people also present during his ride, is something he knows that others have experienced before him, and the poem is the revelation of that fact. In Emerson’s [...]

Self-Reflection October 23, 2009

I’ve never been able to easily start a paper, and concluding them has often eluded me as well. Emerson’s essays never seem concerned with such formalities—it always reads like Emerson just lets himself write whatever comes to mind, letting his thoughts make associations that he somehow relates back to his original point. Whenever I try [...]

Scholar of the World (Revised) October 9, 2009

Scholar of the World In 1837 Ralph Waldo Emerson gave an oration to the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Cambridge, addressing the topic of the American scholar.  In the address, Emerson stirred up controversy by condemning books. He claims that “Books are the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst” (Emerson 59). The [...]

Spiritual Laws September 25, 2009

Emerson’s essay “Spiritual Laws” has a lot to say about being your own person. Like in “American Scholar” and “Self-Reliance,” Emerson puts an emphasis on not conforming to outside ideas of how a person should behave and what they should believe. Early on, he bemoans how “our young people are diseased with the theological problems [...]

Scholar of the World September 18, 2009

In 1837 Ralph Waldo Emerson gave an oration to the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Cambridge, addressing the topic of the American scholar.  In the address, Emerson stirred up controversy by condemning books. He claims that “Books are the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst” (Emerson 59). The premise of “The American [...]

Emerson on Books Part II September 3, 2009

In my own personal experience, I’ve never felt that a book we’ve been told to read for school was a complete waste, but at the same time, I know my peers have had moments where they don’t understand why a book “has anything to do with them.” In high school, especially, students often can’t relate [...]

Emerson on Books September 3, 2009

In Emerson’s address to the Harvard class of 1837, entitled The American Scholar, he names books as one of the three major influences upon scholars. However, in his speech, Emerson’s goal is to convince his audience that books “are the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst,” and that in the world of [...]