Facts about Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Learn Quick Facts about

Ralph Waldo Emerson.  

 

This week’s famous poet is Ralph Waldo Emerson. Last week’s famous poet was Lord Byron. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson, a renowned poet, poured his heart and soul into his numerous poems and essays. His passion for poetry was unparalleled, and he excelled as a philosopher, essayist, and lecturer. Born to William and Ruth Emerson (Haskins) in Boston, Massachusetts, he was one of eight siblings.

 

Keep reading to find out more about Ralph Waldo Emerson. 

 

Here is a list of some poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson: 

• A Good Book
• Conditions of Life
• Heart That Lovest All
• Wiser
• Friendship
• The Mountain and the Squirrel
• The Snow Storm
• The Rhodora
• Seek Not
• Life is Too Short
• Duty

Parents/caretakers, be sure poems are child-friendly before reading them to your child/children.

Do you have a favorite poet? 

 

 

Quick facts about Ralph Waldo Emerson: 

1. He was born May 25, 1803, in London, England. He liked to be addressed by his middle name, Waldo.

2. Ralph Waldo Emerson was 78 years old when he died. He passed away on April 27, 1882, in Concord, Massachusetts. He is buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts. He died from pneumonia.

3. The following is one of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poems: 

 

Duty 

In an age of fops and toys,

Wanting wisdom, void of right,

Who shall nerve heroic boys

To hazard all in Freedom's fight, -

Break sharply off their jolly games,

Forsake their comrades gay.

And quit proud homes and youthful dames

For famine, toil, and fray?

Yet on the nimble air benign

Speed nimbler messages.

That waft the breath of grace divine

To hearts in sloth and ease.

So nigh is grandeur to our dust,

So near is God to man.

When Duty whispers low, Thou must,

The youth replies, l can.

 

(You can print out a worksheet on this poem. You will fill in the missing words in the poem) 

4. Ralph Waldo Emerson was not just a poet but a man deeply committed to social justice. From his youth, he dreamt of freeing the slaves, a cause that he championed. His speeches and writings about race and slavery marked him as a prominent antislavery activist in his late 40s.

5. Ralph Emerson became a leading voice of the intellectual culture in the U.S.A. He was a lecturer and was given the nickname the Sage of Concord. He gave more than 1400 lectures. Here is a list of some of his lectures, essays, and addresses:

• The Method of Nature 
• Divinity School Address
• The Conservative
• The Transcendentalist
• The Young American
• The American Scholar
• The Conduct of Life
•   Spiritual Laws

6. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s personal life was as rich as his literary career. His first wife, Ellen Louisa Tucker, passed away from tuberculosis in 1831. In 1835, he found love again and married Lydia Jackson. They were blessed with four children, each adding a unique joy to their lives.

Here are his children's names:

• Waldo
• Ellen (was named after his first wife)
• Edith
• Edward

7. In 1812, Ralph Waldo Emerson began school at Boston Latin School. By the age of fourteen (1817), he was studying at Harvard College. In 1821, he graduated from Harvard at the age of eighteen.

8. Louisa May Alcott had a crush on Ralph Waldo Emerson as a young girl. She wrote a book called Moods. Some people believe that Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Daniel Thoreau are the two suitors who fall in love with the female in the book.

9. Ralph Waldo Emerson was only seven years old when his father died from stomach cancer. He was raised by his mother, with help from his Aunt Mary Moody Emerson.

 

Share a fact about Ralph Waldo Emerson with us in the comments? 

 

 

 

Get your free printable Ralph Waldo Emerson worksheet here: 

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Visit my printable section for a wide selection of worksheets and coloring sheets!

 

 

Books about Ralph Waldo Emerson: 

1. A Home for Mr. Emerson by Barbara Kerley

2. Self-Reliance and Other Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson

3. Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson

4. Emerson's Essays: The Complete First & Second Series by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Parents/caretakers, be sure books are child-friendly before reading them to your child/children. 

 

Thank you for reading my poet post!! If you find a mistake, please advise me. 

 

Tune in next time to learn some quick facts about Emily Bronte!

 

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."—Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

 

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Mimi is the author of the "JOEY SAVES THE DAY!" book series and other titles. She loves learning, reading, drawing, and writing. She is a homeschool mother of two children and also has two adult children who have already left the nest.