Literary Style

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Rational Argument

The essay is primarily a meticulously crafted rational argument aimed at convincing readers to embrace Emerson's ideas. The author employs logic, reasoning, facts, and examples to bolster his stance. For instance, he cites two pairs of British explorers to argue that technological advancements do not necessarily result in greater achievements. Emerson notes that Henry Hudson and Vitus Behring, from earlier centuries, accomplished significant feats with far less sophisticated equipment compared to Sir William Parry and Sir John Franklin, who were renowned in Emerson's era. This comparison is particularly compelling because history supports Emerson's point.

Today, Hudson and Behring's names are prominently featured on maps, attesting to their discoveries, while Parry and Franklin are less recognized. Additionally, Franklin perished six years after the publication of "Self-Reliance" in a failed attempt to discover the elusive Northwest Passage.

Emerson structures his ideas in a way that guides readers step-by-step to the conclusion he intends for them. He begins by defining genius, then argues that every individual possesses it, and finally explains how and why this genius should be expressed—the expression of one's innate genius being the core of self-reliance.

Emotional Appeal

Emerson's rigorous rational argument in "Self-Reliance" is enhanced by vivid and passionate language that appeals to readers' emotions. One of his most effective techniques is the use of natural imagery: "My book should smell of pines and resound with the hum of insects" and "before a leaf-bud has burst, its whole life acts; in the full-blown flower there is no more; in the leafless root there is no less." Criticizing men's undue sense of timidity, Emerson accuses them of being "ashamed before the blade of grass or the blowing rose."

References to Persons and Literature

"Self-Reliance" is replete with numerous references to famous individuals and well-known literature. The figures mentioned—ranging from ancient to Emerson's contemporaries, from maritime explorers to philosophers and poets, from the Islamic leader Ali to the founder of Zoroastrianism—are mostly presented as exemplars of self-reliance and the greatness it fosters. Some references are ambiguous enough to leave some doubt about the exact person Emerson intended. The name Adams could refer to John, John Quincy, or Samuel. Similarly, Emerson's Gustavus could be either Gustavus Adolphus or Gustavus Vasa, both Swedish kings.

Literary references are used to illustrate or reinforce Emerson's ideas, though some may be obscure to contemporary readers. To express that people cannot forget ideas to which they have previously committed, Emerson writes, "There is no Lethe for this." Lethe, in Greek mythology, is the river of forgetfulness.

There are numerous biblical references. True to Emerson's belief in subjecting all teachings to personal interpretation, he revels in taking these references out of context and flipping conventional interpretations on their heads. For instance, when he declares that he will express his genuine thoughts even if it offends those closest to him, Emerson writes, "I shun father and mother and wife and brother when my genius calls me." This alludes to Matthew 10:37, where Jesus says, "He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Emerson simply substitutes Jesus' "me" with "my genius," a change that some readers of his era likely found blasphemous.

Similarly, the following sentence states, "I would write on the lintels of the door-post, Whim." This refers to Exodus 12, where God instructs the Israelites to smear the blood of a sacrificed lamb on their doorposts as a sign to protect them from the impending plague. Emerson suggests that he relies on himself, on his divinely endowed genius, to shield him from life's plagues.

Figurative Language

Emerson employs more figurative language and literary devices than many essayists. He particularly enjoys using various forms of comparison—simile, metaphor, and analogy—to add vibrancy to a work primarily intended to persuade. One passage illustrates this with several examples:

Men do what is called a good action ... much as they would pay a fine in expiation of daily nonappearance on parade. Their works are done as an apology or extenuation of their living in the world—as invalids and the insane pay a high board. Their virtues are penances.

The essay also features striking instances of personification: "Malice and vanity wear the coat of philanthropy," and, "the centuries are conspirators against the sanity and authority of the soul."

Romanticism

Emerson is regarded as an American icon of romanticism, a philosophical and literary movement that originated in Europe in the early eighteenth century. Emerson's philosophy, as expressed in "Self-Reliance," closely aligns with romanticism's ideas, which include the intrinsic worth of the individual, the significance of personal freedom from religious and societal constraints, and the divinity of nature. French philosopher and writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau significantly influenced the development of romanticism in Europe, as did the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, whose works were read by the New England transcendentalists.

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