Gregory Alcala
October 20th 2009
English 48B Lankford
Journal for Emerson
Quote: "...but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude." -quoted from The Norton Anthology: American Literature Vol. B
Summary: Emerson's writing of Self-Reliance encourages his readers to stick to their guns and stay true to themselves. This quote taken from that his writing shows that even when in a mob of people who are all flowing in a single direction that it is the act of a great man who can still think for himself. The sweetness of solitude Emerson writes about in this quote is the idea that the mind in each person can be completely singular and without need of others influencing it's actions. This is the sweetness of solitude.
Quote: "The brilliant genius of Emerson rose in the winter nights, and hung over Boston, drawing the eyes of ingenuous young people to look up to that great new start, a beauty and a mystery, which charmed for the moment, while it gave also perennial inspiration, as it led them forward along new paths, and towards new hopes." -Theodore Park, fellow transcendentalist and minister
Summary: Theodore Park, who knew Emerson, saw the genius in Emerson. He could see the power in Emerson's words that had the power to influence people and change their mindsets. I'm not sure if the word of trailblazer is a correct one to use for Emerson. He did help and influence people, even other future writers of his time and later to become greater writers. He did open minds and make people question life around them.
Overall Summary:
Self-Reliance used so older English them what I am used to reading today. It was hard to follow cause it was Emerson's manifesto. Not a story like I have read in earlier classes. Emerson's work held more weight in his time them they do today. His words still hold meaning, I'm not saying it is irrelevant in modern times. He's meaning, message and moral have been said before. Other writers have taken that, and retold it to their own generation. For individuals to stand up against the grinding windmills of conformity and speak the truth.
20 points. It's actually not true that Emerson is less influential or famous today than he was in his own generation (or that his English is that old-fashioned). Try chewing on key sentences (as we did in class) instead of trying to swallow the whole thing!
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