The Poetry of Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

It might seem unusual to start a lesson on poetry with a question about God, but this question was highly important to Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Emerson, a nineteenth-century poet, essayist, and philosopher, was also a pastor. Although he preached about a Christian view of religion and God, he also believed in a spiritual essence of God that was located inside everyone and everything.

Emerson believed these inner spirits were all interconnected, and that formed the basis of his philosophy of Transcendentalism, which you will learn more about later in this lesson.

To learn more about Emerson's life, read Ralph Waldo Emerson from poets.org and watch the video below.

As you read the article and watch the video, answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper:

• What type of education did Emerson receive?
• What disease did Emerson's first wife have?
• Why did Emerson stop being a minister?
• What were two views that proponents of Transcendentalism held?
• What was Emerson's critique of religion, which he explained in the "Divinity School Address"?
• What movement did Emerson support in the 1850s?
• What were some of the themes that Emerson espoused in his writing?

Ralph Waldo Emerson's life from bekahhbabee:

• Was there anything that surprised you about Emerson's life?

• Do you remember what philosophical movement Emerson joined in the 1830s?

If you said "Transcendentalism," then you're correct!

The Transcendental movement started in the 1830s in New England as a reaction against the rigid Christian teachings of the Unitarian Church. Instead of believing that God could only be found in the institution of the church and in the Bible, Transcendentalists believed that God could be found anywhere, but especially in nature and inside each person's mind.

This belief was controversial for some conservative religious practitioners, but other people championed Transcendental beliefs, and the members of the movement became famous during their lifetimes.

To learn more about the Transcendental movement and its characteristics, watch the video below and write down the rules of Transcendentalism and the characteristics of Emerson's literary style.

American Literature Periods - Transcendentalism by MusicalBacon:

When you have finished taking notes, keep them handy and move on to the Got It? section, where you will use the notes to help you analyze several of Emerson's poems!