Ralph Waldo Emerson was a philosopher, poet, and essayist from 1803-1882. Emerson was a Harvard graduate and a minister for many years. He left the ministry after the death of his first wife. He wrote Self-Reliance to represent his views on life and transcendentalism. Transcendentalism is a social and philosophical movement centered that took place around 1836-1846. The movement focused on the idea of spiritual enlightenment, and finding peace within oneself. It also focuses on the perfectibility of humankind, value of intuition and nature as well as many other things. Emerson's writing is a key example of the transcendentalist movement and is a great take of the idea of this time period during the transcendentalist movement.
Self-Reliance is a piece that is almost a inner monologue of Emerson. He explores various ideas of transcendentalism through the writing. He starts the passage by quoting an epilogue from Honest Man's Fortune published in 1647 by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. He then goes on to say "Trust Thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine Providence has found for you" as well as "No kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till" (270). These quotes seem to contradict each other. The first saying that you should accept that which divinity has given you as it is, and the second saying that nothing good happens until you do that for yourself. He does a lot of reflection on the nature of society in this writing, often looking at various viewpoints. He also talks about how "No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature" (271). This is a great example of a transcendentalist idea, that no church or group for that matter can decide what is right and wrong, those truths are within the individual. He also talks about traveling and how it will not change one's nature. His writing focuses heavily on what transcendentalism is about, saying that truth is within one's self and how one must follow their own drive.
Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self-Reliance is a narrative of transcendentalism, and shows the views and beliefs of the era. Transcendentalism is about one's own inner truth. Following one's passions and relying on the self to find your truths. There are many different ideas of transcendentalism but Emerson's writing brings these to mind. The writing is showing the ideas of an era but through a personal point of view. Self-Reliance focuses on what the name would suggest. Finding one's own inner light and only relying on oneself for their own truths as well as following one's own passions. His writing is mostly about how whatever feels right or wrong to you, is how it is. Following your instincts as well as the morals you have set for yourself.
I also found a great website about Ralph Waldo Emerson. There excerpts from his writing and writing about his history and ties to transcendentalism.
http://www.online-literature.com/emerson/
Picture sources
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/ralph_waldo_emerson_3.html
