8 poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson everyone should read

Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American philosopher and poet once said: “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” The quote is an exact reflection of Emerson’s life; a life in which he inspired people and left a mark on them for eternity. A leading figure of the American Transcendentalist movement of the 19th century, Emerson wrote about a dozen essays and delivered 1500 public lectures all across the United States.

Emerson’s writings revolved around a number of subjects like individuality, freedom, the ability of mankind to realize almost anything, and the relationship between one’s soul and the surrounding world. As per Emerson, the views of God were separate from the real world, and thus he rejected them. Till date, his works continue to influence thinkers, writers and poets from all across the world.

Today, on Emerson’s 217th birth anniversary, let us visit some of his enchanting and delightful poems.

Written in 1856, the poem is named after Brahma- the Hindu god of creation. The speaker in the poem is Brahma himself and he presents himself as the centre of the universe. It is a poem that presents a faithful version of a basic idea stressed in the Bhagwad Gita that is the immortality of the soul.

The poem describes the many functions of a bell and how the sound it produces is related to life and death. The speaker in this poem uses the bell to mark different occasions. It rings for births and deaths and 'heaven or hell.' Even the emotions of love and loss are marked in equal measure by its sound.

The poem implicitly states Emerson’s philosophy of the transcendental spirit in the nature. It neatly describes how the nature’s creative force leaves an amazing architectural landscape overnight. The snowstorm constructs magnificent structures that the human civilizations have not been able to achieve.

The poem was composed in 1862 and read publicly by Emerson in Boston Music Hall on January 1, 1863. It commemorates the Emancipation Proclamation issued earlier that day by President Abraham Lincoln, a campaign for the abolition of slavery in America.

In the poem, the speaker addresses the reader and asks them to consider their life and give everything they have physically and mentally, over to love. This is the only pursuit worth anything and by doing this, one will reach a higher spiritual state.

In the poem, Emerson describes beauty as something light and sweet that fills the air with happiness and pleasure. He speaks about beauty as if it is an old friend and sees it as some divine power.

The poem describes the power of a rhododendron flower and its ability to outshine and improve all the elements around it. It expresses a spiritual connection that can be possible between nature and its occupants, such as between man and nature.

The poem reflects Emerson's status as a transcendentalist and remarks on the inevitability of old age and the harsh reality of death. Emerson makes this point by invoking the name Terminus, the Roman god of endings and boundaries.