Tag: Essays

“Self-trust is the essence of heroism.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s description of heroism looks simple: heroes have strong values; they don’t listen to doubters. But Emerson’s essays can be described as collections of complex ideas. He also says that heroism “has pride; it is the extreme of individual nature” (177). If you are hoping to find … Read More

“The difference between landscape and landscape is small, but there is great difference in the beholders.”

emersonRecently, I visited Ralph Waldo Emerson’s house in Concord, MA, which has the chair that Emerson sat in while he wrote his famous essay “Nature.”  As a fan of what Anne Fadiman calls “You-Are-There Reading” I had to reacquaint myself with this wonderful piece. When it was published in 1836, … Read More

“Reflection is a mighty endeavor…no occupation is more powerful or more feeble, depending on the soul”

Montagne croppedHow come some people who write about themselves are bores, and others are fascinating? Michel de Montaigne, an inventor who lived in the 1500s, is fascinating.  Instead of keeping a record of what he did, he recorded what he was thinking about.  He wrote:  “I am not portraying … Read More