nature representative men, a biography of plato, swedenborg,

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Ralph Waldo Emerson was born on May 25, 1803, in Massachusetts, and spent much of his life searching for answers and meaning. His father was a minister who died in 1811 when Ralph was a young boy. His mother worked hard to provide for Ralph and his four siblings. But times were still very difficult for the family. The Book of Knowledge published by the Grolier Society in 1911 shares that “Ralph and his brother Edward had at times only one overcoat between them, so that their schoolfellows would ask: ‘Whose turn is it today?’” He attended Harvard College, graduated in 1821, and worked as a teacher for a time. He then studied to become a minister. He married in 1829, but he lost his wife to tuberculosis in 1831. He struggled to deal with his grief and left the ministry. He spent time in Europe, returned to America, and remarried. Much of his literary work that he is remembered for is an exploration of the ques-tions he wanted answers for. He ultimately rejected the truth of the Bible and instead sought to create his own answers, some of which is seen in his 1836 booklet called Nature. In 1849 he published Representative Men, a biography of Plato, Swedenborg, Montaigne, Shakespeare, Napoleon, and Goethe. He spoke and taught much throughout his life and died in Massachusetts in 1882. On the following pages you will find a timeline of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s life and a notebooking page. Do some research into the life and work of Ralph Waldo Emerson and record your observations as you look more closely at the life of this famous author.


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Ralph Waldo Emerson

Timeline

Died in Concord Mass.

Graduated and taught school while preparing for part-time study in the Harvard Divinity School

Wife died of tuberculosis

Entered Harvard College

Published Representative Men

Resigned from the ministry

Married Ellen Louisa Tucker

Published second volume of Essays

Published first volume of Essays

Published The Conduct of Life

Ralph Waldo Emerson was born 1803

1817

1821

1829

1831

1832

1841

1844

1850

1860

1882


Answer Key

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Timeline

Ralph Waldo Emerson was born 1803

1817 Entered Harvard College

Graduated and taught school while preparing for part-time study in the

Harvard Divinity School 1821

1829 Married Ellen Louisa Tucker

Wife died of tuberculosis 1831

1832 Resigned from the ministry

Published first volume of Essays 1841

1844 Published second volume of Essays

Published Representative Men 1850

1860 Published The Conduct of Life

Died in Concord Mass. 1882

nature representative men, a biography of plato, swedenborg,

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