Emerson and the Melancholia

The essaqy on Emerson was veyr informative. It contained a lot of stuff that I did not know but once I found out about them Emerson began to make a lot more sense as a writer as well as a person. One of Emerson's core beliefs and the idea that really influenced his wirting when he was still a romanitcist was his belief in not mourning. According to the essay: ""Getting over the deaths of loved ones is no tired or traditional 'spiritual' vision for Emerson precisely because it is a literal breathing in, or inspiration, of the death in life," Cox writes.". In his earlier writing there was a definite romantic style to his writing. He believed that dying was a part of life and was natural. This was very typical of the romanticism period because they were really big on nature in that time period. So the fact that Emerson believed nature was not someething to mourn showed his romanticism. This really sutied Emerson for hisw wirting bewcause he really did believe in the romanticism principles. In his later years Emerson began to break off of Romanticism. The single largest reason for this was the death of his son, Waldo. When Waldo dided Merson wanted to mourn for him but he did not know how to mourn because he had never before. Once Emerson realized mourning was a good thing he began his break with Romanticism. It is very evident in his writing as it becoems darker and more self interested than happy and about nature like some of his early ones were.This passage formt he essay really exempliefies Emerson's journey after his son dided

"Yet the grief for Waldo's death, we are told, eventually makes its full weight known by way of a delayed reaction. At the time of the boy's death, Emerson put aside his journal (lettered J), saving it for his recollections of his son. He returned to the journal in April to begin "Threnody," the elegy for Waldo, which was completed and published in 1846. And there, the received understanding goes, we see the authentic toll of Emerson's loss. Until this point, he has cast himself in the image of Hegel's belle?me, lacking "the power of alienation, the power to make himself a thing and support being." In The Conduct of Life, published in the year Lincoln was elected president, 1860, and particularly in the seminal "Fate," this story continues: we can see how Emerson has adapted himself to the new stance. He recognizes his place in the world and understands that fate, not spirit, is the dominant force in his and every life."

In my own opinion Emerson's break with Romanticism came at a good time as the whole Literary period was winding down. He also seemed help accelerate the break form romanticism. Emerson's life was full of tragedy but he also helped to further our own literature. Emerosn was a great man and he will be forever remembered for nhis contributions to the english stuff.

Works Cited:

Edmundson, Mark. "Emerson and the Work of Melancholia." Raritan (Spring 1987).New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. FactsOn File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?.