Self-Reliance Summary
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Everything you need to understand or teach Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Self-Reliance Summary & Study Guide
6 Student Essays
2 Encyclopedia Articles
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30 Self-Reliance Lessons
20 Activities
180 Multiple Choice Questions
60 Short Essay Questions
20 Essay Questions
Pre-Made Tests and Quizzes
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Self-Reliance Summary

"Self-Reliance," first published in Essays (First Series) in 1841, is widely considered to be the definitive statement of Ralph Waldo Emerson's philosophy of individualism and the finest example of his prose. The essay is a fabric woven of many threads, from a journal entry written as early as 1832 to material first delivered in lectures between 1836 and 1839.

Emerson was known for his repeated use of the phrase "trust thyself." "Self-Reliance" is his explanation both systematic...

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Encyclopedia Articles (2)

Self-reliance - Ralph Waldo Emerson - 1841

7,995 words, approx. 27 pages

Self-reliance - Ralph Waldo Emerson - 1841 Introduction In "Self-Reliance" (1841), Ralph Waldo Emerson, the premier American poet, philosopher, and lecturer of the nineteenth century, su... Read more

"Self- Reliance"

3,746 words, approx. 13 pages

"Self- Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was one of the most influential thinkers in nineteenth-century America. Like his father, he became a Unitarian minister in Bo... Read more

Ralph Waldo Emerson Biographies (8)

Ralph Waldo Emerson

1,585 words, approx. 6 pages

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was the most thought-provoking American cultural leader of the mid-19th century. In his unorthodox ideas and actions he represented a minority of Americans, but by the ... Read more

Ralph Waldo Emerson

6,464 words, approx. 22 pages

Emerson is perhaps the single most influential figure in American literary history. More than any other author of his day, he was responsible for shaping the literary style and vision of the American... Read more

Ralph Waldo Emerson

10,944 words, approx. 37 pages

Ralph Waldo Emerson was not a practicing literary critic in the sense that Edgar Allan Poe and William Dean Howells were, and he was not a theorist as Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Sche... Read more

Ralph Waldo Emerson

1,939 words, approx. 7 pages

Ralph Waldo Emerson's contribution to magazine journalism consists of his work in connection with the Dial, the voice of early American transcendentalism. A major force in the creation of the journal,... Read more

Ralph Waldo Emerson

2,487 words, approx. 9 pages

Ralph Waldo Emerson, the most renowned New England Transcendentalist, stirred Victorian American audiences with his message of self-reliance, philosophical idealism, and forward-looking optimism. Emer... Read more

Ralph Waldo Emerson

17,847 words, approx. 60 pages

No one has a better claim than Ralph Waldo Emerson to being the central figure in the whole history of American literature. All artists distill influences from the past to become, themselves, influenc... Read more

Ralph Waldo Emerson

8,296 words, approx. 28 pages

Ralph Waldo Emerson is perhaps the most influential and pivotal figure in American literary history. As a writer he was a major nineteenth-century craftsman of American cultural identity. Emerson brou... Read more

Ralph Waldo Emerson

8,360 words, approx. 28 pages

Biography EssayRalph Waldo Emerson is perhaps the single most influential figure in American literary history More than any other author of his day, he was responsible for shaping the literary style a... Read more

Essays & Analysis (6)

Tone of Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance."

235 words, approx. 1 pages

In "Self-Reliance," Ralph Waldo Emerson's tone and rhetoric greatly contribute to conveying his transcendental views. Emerson's tone helps his argument for his transcendental way of life. His zealous ... Read more

Self Reliance

664 words, approx. 3 pages

In modern society do individuals act for themselves, or do others act for them? Throughout life, one may come to observe that society itself is just one large group of people that act and do everythin... Read more

Self Reliance, An Analysis of the Emerson Poem

520 words, approx. 2 pages

"It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it." (p172) - Nobody knows you and your "duties" better than you know yourself.... Read more

New England Renissance

933 words, approx. 4 pages

NEW ENGLAND RENASSIANCE ESSAY Emerson`s "Self-Reliance", Longfellow's "A Psalm for life" and Holmes' "The Chambered Nautilus" advise their readers to live in certain ways. Whether it be Eme... Read more

Emerson

439 words, approx. 2 pages

Emerson's essays still to this day are controversial, causing argument and inspiration to others. His essay "Self Reliance" is no different, bringing about questions of society and what truly makes... Read more

Self Reliance

333 words, approx. 2 pages

Dr. Phil says that you should communicate more, and share more. Judge Judy told yesterday's plaintiff that he should be more considerate. Martha Stewart recommends that you don't mix plaids and polka... Read more

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