1803–1882
4 passages in library
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
The leading voice of American Transcendentalism, Emerson championed self-reliance, individualism, and the connection between humanity and nature. His essays and lectures influenced generations of writers and thinkers. His aphoristic style—compressing entire philosophies into single sentences—makes his work endlessly quotable.
Aphoristic compression—big ideas in few words
Direct, confident assertions
Movement from familiar to sublime
Rhetorical questions that lead readers to conclusions
Nature as metaphor for spiritual truths
Self-Reliance
Nature
The American Scholar
Circles
Type along with these passages to absorb Ralph Waldo Emerson's style and techniques.
Circles
Emotional Impact and Imagery
Self-Reliance
Clarity and Simplicity
Nature
Emotional Impact and Imagery
Advice to Writers
Storytelling as Persuasion
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