RALPH WALDO EMERSONRALPH WALDO EMERSON

1803-18821803-1882

BOSTONBOSTON Graduated Harvard at 18Graduated Harvard at 18 Minister in Unitarian Church for 3 yrs, Minister in Unitarian Church for 3 yrs,

ending in 1832ending in 1832

Transcendentalism Transcendentalism

Poetry, essaysPoetry, essays

To read it, rewrite itTo read it, rewrite it

. . .spoke not what men, but what . . .spoke not what men, but what they thought.they thought.

. . .spoke not what . . .spoke not what [other][other] men, but men, but what they thought.what they thought.

they said what they thoughtthey said what they thought

Why make it so difficult?

From “Good Writing”From “Good Writing”

All writing should be selection in order All writing should be selection in order to drop every dead word. . . . to drop every dead word. . . .

Then all the words will be sprightly, & Then all the words will be sprightly, & every sentence a surprise.every sentence a surprise.

What is being compared or contrasted?

Charles IvesCharles Ives

Composer, insurance innovatorComposer, insurance innovator Concord Sonata, 1911-1915Concord Sonata, 1911-1915

- 1- 1stst movement “Emerson” movement “Emerson” Entire 4-movement piece is 50 Entire 4-movement piece is 50

minutes longminutes long VERY individual – no barlines, cluster VERY individual – no barlines, cluster

chords, collage of sounds & tuneschords, collage of sounds & tunes

Experience, 1844Experience, 1844

There is an optical illusion about every person we There is an optical illusion about every person we meet. In truth, they are all creatures of given meet. In truth, they are all creatures of given temperament, which will appear in a given temperament, which will appear in a given character, whose boundaries they will never pass: character, whose boundaries they will never pass: but we look at them, they seem alive, and we but we look at them, they seem alive, and we presume there is impulse in them. In the presume there is impulse in them. In the moment, it seems impulse; in the year, in the moment, it seems impulse; in the year, in the lifetime, it turns out to be a certain uniform tune lifetime, it turns out to be a certain uniform tune which the revolving barrel of the music-box must which the revolving barrel of the music-box must play.play.