The American Scholar by Ralph Waldo Emerson || Themes Summary and Analysis

00:32 - The American Scholar Info; 01:47 - Themes of American Scholar; 03:11 - Summary of American Scholar; 07:50 - Actions are Secondary to Thoughts; 08:50 - Duties of a Scholar;
Summary and Analysis of The American Scholar for students preparing for UGC NET JRF. After writing his first essay Nature, Emerson had attained enough success and recognition. He was invited to address the gathering of the best of the students of Harvard College Massachusetts at the Phi Beta Kappa Society. On 31st August 1837, he gave the famous speech which was later turned as an essay and was titled the American Scholar. The themes of this essay wee American nationalism, social unity, social integrity, and connection with nature. His first two essays Nature and the American Scholar became the source of inspiration for American literary renaissance, American Romanticism and the Transcendentalist movement.
In this essay, Ralph Waldo Emerson suggests that Nature is the best teacher and a true scholar must seek and observe the nature for original knowledge and thinking. Emerson also mentions the importance of books and suggests that books are a collection of past knowledge and while they are important, overindulgence in books may prove to be dangerous. He criticizes the habit of bookworms and suggests that books often offer half-truths as they are biased as per the social standards of the time when they were written. He stresses on practical learning and says that when a scholar learns the principles and theory, it is his duty to experiment and act on those principles.
Emerson explains the need of American scholar to be self trusting and original. He explains the quality of a true scholar and his duties and obligation towards society. At the end of his essay, Emerson praises Western poets such as William Wordsworth and Goethe for not taking aristocratic subjects for their writings but to observe and explore the lives of lower-class working people. He also mentions Swedish philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg.

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00:32 - The American Scholar Info; 01:47 - Themes of American Scholar; 03:11 - Summary of American Scholar; 07:50 - Actions are Secondary to Thoughts; 08:50 - Duties of a Scholar;

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