Ralph Waldo Emerson

A detailed literary biography traces the life and intellectual development of a prominent literary figure, following upbringing, college years, early teaching and religious service, marriage and personal losses, and a formative trip to Europe. It charts the emergence of philosophical and literary ideas through sermons, public lectures, essays including a foundational essay on nature, addresses to academic bodies, and correspondence with contemporary thinkers; it describes involvement with a transcendentalist circle and related publications, the publication history of key essays and lectures, and the interplay of private events and public activity that shaped the subject's writings and reputation.