Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882) is often considered to be the key figure of the American Renaissance literary movement. He was a philosopher, lecturer, and a self-described poet. While he wrote poetry, he considered himself a poet as a "perceiver and dear lover of the harmonies" that surround us. His lecture (not published as an essay) "Self-Reliance" is the centerpiece of his philosophy of individualism. In this famous speech, Emerson urged people to follow their individual voice versus conforming to social expectations.

In this section we will be focusing on two of his famous works: "Nature" and "Self-Reliance."