Does ‘The American Scholar’ Reflect the Values of the Declaration of Independence and the American Constitution? 4

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In an address to the scholars in the Phi Beta Kappa society at Cambridge in Massachusetts Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1837 delivered a speech in which he stated that the literature during the European influence required scholars to memorize texts written by other writers. The speech was titled The American Scholar and the main idea of his speech was that the literature in America should be completely different from the European literature. Basically the scholars should have the freedom to write in any form they wish to write in and not copy the way other writers have already written. By this statement Emerson reminds the citizens of America that their culture were modified by the Europeans so much that people had already started to forget their own culture. In this respect Emerson is reminding the citizens of America that since they won the war of independence against the Europeans and that they now had a chance to start afresh every developmental activity. Therefore in literature to start fresh the Americans needed to write in a new form that would be different from how the Europeans wrote and had taught Americans to write. Emerson claims that the new form of writing can be achieved through influences from nature, books and action. He was thus a transcendentalist. Emerson in his speech states that scholars should observe nature and write originally on their own and not memorize or copy the form of writings of other writers. In the American scholar (1837) he states that "Men of talent, that is who start wrong, who set out from accepted dogmas, not from their own sight of principles." This means that even if a person is intelligent but starts his thoughts in the wrong way such as collecting ideas from a text written by other scholars, h... ... middle of paper ... ...Let him not quit his belief that a popgun is a popgun, though the ancient and the honorable of the earth affirm it to be the crack down.” Emerson’s the American scholar was credited as significant as the declaration of independence in literature by many other writers. It was thus a transcendental speech that encouraged young scholars have a better learning process by not memorizing text but by researching on subjects they wish to learn. Such learning process promises innovations and creativity in the minds of the young people and the world always has alternatives to rely on if any other method fails. Therefore The American scholar has thus been an inspiring speech to the whole world that encouraged better learning and creations ever since. Works Cited Emerson,R.W.(1907). The American Scholar in Essays. Retrieved from http://www.qutenberg.org/files/16643-h.htm

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