Ralph Waldo Emerson's Apology Essay

1000 Words2 Pages

Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the great American poets, had the privilege to develop his art in a time of constant change. Born to witness to revolutions unfold, in French and American soil, he had no choice but to be a revolutionary himself. For his time, Emerson expressed views that were constantly at odds with the status-quo; mainly his separation from Christian values and his promotion of transcendental philosophy. For a more in-depth explanation of his philosophies and politics, one would need to look into his essays and letters. However, that would be beyond the scope of this essay. Through a single poem, “The Apology,” this text will attempt to demonstrate the layers of context that Emerson would often hide in his lines. Though they are …show more content…

How could he? An idealist at heart, Emerson did not need to justify the time spent trying to understand ideas. Throughout the entirety of the text, Emerson presents a futile activity followed by the importance that his intellectual exercises can give them. His individualism, and his pursuit for personal enlightenment, is made evident throughout the text. That being said, the poem does not appear antagonistic to a materialist view on art. Materialism and Idealism might be in direct opposition, but Emerson manages to produce an unintended synthesis of …show more content…

Though the poem is an expression of his individual self, that does not stop it from being easily recognizable by a collective audience. The creation of that song, if shared with the world, would aid in the portrayal of the narrator’s reality to the reality of the collective; making it available for further intellectual analysis or an emotional response from the people who might be able to relate to his thoughts. Benjamin, by removing all subjectivity from art, he makes it fulfill the same function that Emerson’s publication of his text. The work becomes a part of the collective

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