About Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) was an American essayist, lecturer and poet and a leading figure of Transcendentalism. Many of his essays began as lectures; they were published in Nature (1836), Essays: First Series (1841) and Essays: Second Series (1844), among other books.
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s writing style
Emerson builds paragraphs out of striking, self-contained sentences rather than step-by-step argument, so many of his lines work as aphorisms on their own. He moves quickly between the concrete and the abstract and favours bold, unqualified statements. The essays keep traces of the lecture platform: direct address, sudden turns and memorable closing lines.
Practice Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essays
1 essay
How to write like Ralph Waldo Emerson
Pick one of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essays and retype it word for word. Copying slows you down enough to notice how each sentence is built: where it starts, how long it runs and which words carry the weight. Keep the style notes above in mind as you type, then write a paragraph of your own in the same voice. New to this? Read what copywork is and how to do it.