Questions and Answers for Self-Reliance
Self-Reliance
What does this quote mean from "Self- Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson? Quote: Every heart is tuned to that string.
Let's take a closer look at the full quotation from Emerson: Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string Emerson explains fairly explicitly what he means by this comment. In writing...
Self-Reliance
A Foolish Consistency Is The Hobgoblin Of Little Minds
A hobgoblin is a small, mischief-making imp from folklore and fairytales whose intentions are usually evil. In this statement, Emerson uses hobgoblin as a metaphor, comparing the abstract term...
Self-Reliance
What does Ralph Waldo Emerson mean by "Whoso would be a man must be a noncomformist"?
Emerson helps to explain this quotation in the sentences which follow it. He says, "He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be...
Self-Reliance
Explain what Emerson means by "envy is ignorance."
The idea of paying mind to the subjective notion of self is a powerfully compelling idea that is featured in Emerson's work. The notion of envy is the desire to focus the subjective on another...
Self-Reliance
In "Self-Reliance" by Ralph Emerson, what does the following quote mean? "With consistency a great soul has simply...
This passage from the essay Self-Reliance follows Ralph Waldo Emerson's remarks about people's reluctance to change their opinions that have already been approved by others. That is, people are...
Self-Reliance
Explain Emerson's quote, "For nonconformity the world...a sour face," and say if the world still punishes nonconformity.
Emerson is trying to point out the challenges with remaining as a non- conformist. At the time in which he is writing, America began to embrace a model of industrialization and the notion of...
Self-Reliance
What does Emerson mean when he writes the aphorism “envy is ignorance, imitation is suicide”?
In this essay, Emerson encourages each person to live by their own principles. He exhorts the readers to rely on themselves for their ideas and values and goals, rather than listening to what other...
Self-Reliance
Society Everywhere Is In Conspiracy Against The Manhood
In Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance," the main idea is that the individual should exist apart from society. In other words, people should be themselves completely and not seek to conform to...
Self-Reliance
There Is A Time In Every Man's Education
This quote is from Emerson's "Self-Reliance," and it's about the importance of originality and trusting one's own instincts in the process of becoming educated. The person who truly wants to become...
Self-Reliance
Why does Emerson believe that "consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds"? Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance"
As a Transcendentalist, Ralph Waldo Emerson believed strongly in individualism; it is important, Emerson held, for each individual to follow whatever his conscience dictated at any particular time....
Self-Reliance
What does Emerson mean by saying "immortal palms" in his quote "he who would gather immortal palms must not be...
By the word, "palms," Emerson is referring to the palm leaf or laurel branch, which in ancient times was used by people to celebrate a victory or occasion for rejoicing. One example of this usage...
Self-Reliance
What was Emerson's opinion on consistency and conformity?
Emerson believed that individuals should think for themselves, not simply conform to popular ideas because they are the most popular and not simply stick with one opinion so as to avoid appearing...
Self-Reliance
Who is Emerson's intended audience in "Self-Reliance"?
Emerson's essay is aimed at young men--and we must emphasize men--graduating from college or in other ways about to embark on a life of opportunity. In other words, he writes to persuade privileged...
Self-Reliance
What does Emerson say about traveling, and what does he mean by "whim"?
Emerson essentially believes that traveling is overrated. He supports this perspective through an initial focus on "the idea" of places like Italy, England, and Egypt, and the fascination of...
Self-Reliance
What is Emerson's famous charge in Self-Reliance in the paragraph in which he states "Trust thyself..."?
I think this segment of Emerson's Self-Reliance focuses on the theme of confidence. If we cannot believe in ourselves, we have already defeated the purposes and aims we set out to achieve. In...
Self-Reliance
In Emerson's "Self Reliance," how does one define "society" and one's place in it?
Society is the force one must push back against to achieve self-reliance and learn to understand one's individual destiny, according to Emerson. Society is the collective force of conformity that...
Self-Reliance
What does Emerson mean by "that divine idea which each of us represent" in his essay "Self-Reliance"?
When Ralph Waldo Emerson uses the phrase "that divine idea each of us represent," he means the uniqueness of each person as conceived by God. In his essay "Self-Reliance," Emerson urges all people...
Self-Reliance
What does Ralph Waldo Emerson mean when he says "And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same...
To understand this line from "Self-Reliance," we have to put it in context. Emerson is urging the reader to listen to his own intuitive insights, and not put them aside because he doubts his...
Self-Reliance
In “Self-Reliance,” describe what Emerson compares to these things and events: planting corn, an iron string, a...
"Planting corn" is a metaphor (a comparison that does not use the words "like" or "as") for making the most of one's own abilities so that one bears a good harvest (i.e., so that they do good in...
Self-Reliance
What does Emerson mean by "...luster of the firmament of bards and sages"?
Emerson is using a metaphor. He is figuratively speaking of all the bards and sages, that is, all the poets and philosophers, as if they are stars lighting up the entire sky like our Milky Way...
Self-Reliance
What is society's main purpose according to Ralph Waldo Emerson in "Self-Reliance"?
As was mentioned in the previous post, society's main purpose is to suppress individuality, force people to conform to the status quo, and encourage citizens to behavior consistently. Emerson...
Self-Reliance
What does Emerson mean by self-reliance? What are Emerson's major points?
In his essay on “self-reliance,” Ralph Waldo Emerson emphasizes the importance of trusting one’s own conscience; only by doing so can one realistically expect to maintaining one’s personal...
Self-Reliance
According To Self Reliance What Is The Only Law That Emerson Can Hold Sacred
Emerson believed in two kinds of "learning" --- tuition and intuition. Tuition is the kind of learning we generally associate with school. It comes from effort, from absorbing knowledge...
Self-Reliance
Is Emerson's purpose in writing about "Self-Reliance" similar to that of "Nature"?
Emerson's essay "Nature" is an explanation of how humans and animals and plants are all part of the natural world, and within Nature is contained a beauty that also comes from people's response to...
Self-Reliance
In Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance," what does he mean by the passage, "[We are] guides, redeemers and...
In this passage, Emerson is using language with religious connotations to make the point that everyday people aren't meant to be followers or passive bystanders on the sidelines. Everyone should...
Self-Reliance
What is the tone of "Self-Reliance"?
Tone is the attitude or mood a writer conveys. In "Self-Reliance," Emerson conveys a tone of complete confidence and unwavering conviction in what he has to say. He is serious and never hesitant—he...
Self-Reliance
What does Emerson say about work in "Self-Reliance"?
As a transcendentalist, Emerson belived that peopl must live their own lives and not worry themselves with that other people do of what other people think. In "Self-Reliance" he discusses this...
Self-Reliance
How does Emerson's quote about good coming from toiling on one's plot of ground relate to Transcendentalist ideals?
The implication within the quote is the idea of focusing on the individual's actions. The individual is in the position of power to be able to impact their world with a sense of action and...
Self-Reliance
What are themes in Emerson's "Self-Reliance"?
Self-reliance in this essay is not about taking care of the externals of life, such as food, shelter, and clothing. Instead, it is about the state of one's soul: Emerson strongly advocates for...
Self-Reliance
To Be Great Is To Be Misunderstood
In "Self-Reliance," as the title indicates, Emerson tries to persuade young people just graduating from college to follow their own hearts and souls in seeking their paths through life. He is...
Self-Reliance
What does "Self Reliance" suggest regarding the importance and sovereignty of an individual? Ralph Walso Emerson...
To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men,— that is genius. This observation stands at the heart of Transcendental thought and is...
Self-Reliance
Explain Emerson's quote: "No law can be sacred to me ...the only wrong what is against it." Is it ever accetaptable...
This quote is from a paragraph that really explains the meat of Emerson's essay and one of the most important tenets of transcendentalism. It is from the paragraph that starts "whoso would be a...
Self-Reliance
Which one of the three tenets of Transcendentalism is the most stressed in Ralph Waldo Emerson's essays...
Both texts, Nature and "Self-Reliance," by Ralph Waldo Emerson, illuminate a few of the main tenets of Transcendentalism. First, the tenet of individualism is present in both texts. In Nature,...
Self-Reliance
According to Emerson in "Self-Reliance," why should people trust themselves?
As a Transcendentalist, Ralph Waldo Emerson firmly believed in the merits of individualism and the power of intuition. In his essay, "Self-Reliance," he explains, To believe your own thought, to...
Self-Reliance
Is there too much or too little emphasis on self-reliance and individualism today? Do you think Emerson would agree...
This is an opinion question, and could really be answered either way. The prior expert's answer focuses on how marketing drives much of what we desire—or think we desire—in life, and how this...
Self-Reliance
What does Emerson suggest regarding nonconformity? How does this view conflict with Romans 12:2?
Ralph Waldo Emerson was a transcendentalist meaning that he believed humans were inherently good, and that society and its institutions corrupted this purity. By nonconformity, Emerson meant to...
Self-Reliance
Do you agree or disagree that Emerson believes it is vital for all people to be nonconformists?
Emerson is not trying to advise everybody to be a nonconformist. He is addressing his remarks to intelligent individuals who are capable of understanding him. No doubt a lot of these individuals...
Self-Reliance
In "Self-Reliance," what does "the eye was placed where one ray should fall" mean?
In "Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson, the author encourages people to be self-reliant in seeking their future, as the title suggests. Each person is distinct and individual and must follow his...
Self-Reliance
Why is "Self-Reliance" considered Transcendentalist, and what was Emerson's purpose for writing the essay?
In his essay "Self-Reliance," Ralph Waldo Emerson champions individualism, spontaneity, nature, and intuition. Emerson subscribes to the belief that individuals should trust themselves and not seek...
Self-Reliance
Choose a metaphor from "Self-Reliance"by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and discuss how this metaphor can be used to understand...
The main theme of "Self-Reliance" is that individuals should trust their own judgment and inner conscience rather than rely on the past, tradition, or what others tell them as they seek how to live...
Self-Reliance
List the four things that Emerson says everyone learns eventually in "Self-Reliance."
Early in "Self-Reliance," Emerson says all people eventually learn four basic truths: envy is ignorance, imitation is suicide, all must take themselves for who they are, and though the universe of...
Self-Reliance
In "Self-Reliance," how does society affect what people value?
Emerson believes that society affects what people value because it removes the individual's uniqueness by encouraging conformity. In "Self-Reliance," Emerson argues that society wants people to...
Self-Reliance
What are three aphorisms you would like to remember from "Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson?
An aphorism is a short memorable saying that states a truth. My personal favorite aphorism in "Self-Reliance" is the following: Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. The...
Self-Reliance
In regards to "Self-Reliance," does Emerson value original thought or traditional wisdom more?
Absolutely, Emerson values original thought much more highly than traditional wisdom. In this essay, he says, without qualification, "Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist [....]. Nothing...
Self-Reliance
What is the relationship between people, nature and God in "Self-Reliance"?
According to Ralph Waldo Emerson, there is a close interrelationship among individuals, nature, and God. In "Self-Reliance," Emerson reiterates some of his ideas from Nature such as the belief that...
Self-Reliance
What is a real world connection to Emerson's word's from his essay Self Reliance. "what I must do is all that...
The 1988 movie, Tucker: The Man and His Dream is a biographical film about the avant gardeinventor, a maverick of his time who possessed such an independent spirit that he refused to forgoe or sell...
Self-Reliance
In "Self-Reliance," what are the barriers that prevent us from self-reliance according to Emerson?
Emerson wrote that "[s]ociety everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members" and that a man is "clapped into jail by his consciousness." By this, he meant that the...
Self-Reliance
How does Emerson explain how he used figures of speech to develop his theme in "Self-Reliance"?
Emerson feels passionate about his topic in his essay "Self-Reliance." He wants us as readers to be persuaded by his argument, which states that we should follow the dictates of our own souls...
Self-Reliance
What does Emerson believe is the individual's responsibility to society in the essay "Self-Reliance"?
The individual's responsibility to society is to remain the individual. The individual must be a nonconformist and take care of himself. Although in society it is easy to conform, and in fact...
Self-Reliance
explain the meaning of the quotation by Emerson that say there is a time in every man's education when he arrives at...
This quotation comes from the early part of Emerson's "Self Reliance," which focuses on the importance of individualism and the self. What Emerson is saying is that for every person, eventually...
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