An American Romantic

Emerson was born at the right time and the somewhat right place. The Romantic period that embraced imagination and emotion also embraced a young Emerson. Emerson's transcendental ideals that addressed the individual following their own ideas, even though they differed from societys', was born out of the Romantic era that lasted a little over a quarter of Emerson'e life. He, like the Romantics, championed for imagination, emotion, and for the individual who strove for freedom. I feel that his contemporaries also embraced Emerson. Emerson wrote about things that were real and truthful. He wasn't exactly innovative, but he certainly possessed the ability to express his thoughts clearly. The idea that there were more important things than what society deemed important was an idea that I think most people would agree with, but not necessarily admit to, especially in Emerson's later years when the Victorian era was in full bloom and forced many individuals to make private their emotions and profess constant devotion to society. Emerson was not afraid to let his contemporaries or America know that the individual was superior to society as a whole.

I think that Emerson's idea were, on the most basic level, trying to get back to the ideas of biblical times, or at least when times were simpler. The old fasioned idea of brotherhood and treating others as you yourself expect to be treated. Emerson felt that all men shold be treated equally, reagardless of their class, appearance, or any other disturbance they may serve as a barrier. Mankind came out of nature therefore should return back to nature to truly understand who they are and what purpose they serve. Emerson was actaully quite a philosopher, as well as writer.