Essays: First Series is a collection by Ralph Waldo Emerson published in 1841. In twelve essays, including Self-Reliance, History, Compensation and The Over-Soul, Emerson urges readers to trust their own intuition and to find truth in nature and in themselves. It is a cornerstone of American Transcendentalism.
Self-Reliance
The most famous essay calls on each person to think independently and resist the pressure to conform to society.
Emerson argues that the individual who trusts himself can find within the voice of universal truth.
The other essays
The collection also includes Love, Friendship, Prudence, Heroism, Circles, Intellect and Art.
The essays grew out of Emerson's lectures, and they keep the energy of the spoken word.
Transcendentalism
Emerson was the leading figure of the Transcendentalist movement in New England, which valued intuition, nature and individual conscience.
His essays influenced Thoreau, Whitman and many later American writers and thinkers.
Anecdotes
A former minister
Emerson had been a Unitarian minister in Boston, but resigned in 1832 and became a lecturer and writer.
Thoreau's mentor
Henry David Thoreau built his cabin at Walden Pond on land owned by Emerson, who had become his friend and mentor.
Frequently asked questions
When was the collection published?
In 1841.
What is the most famous essay?
Self-Reliance.
Which movement did Emerson lead?
American Transcendentalism.