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Representative Men: Seven Lectures

Name: Representative Men: Seven Lectures
Author: Brenda Wineapple
ISBN: 9780812970050

by Brenda Wineapple

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Overview

"In 1845 Ralph Waldo Emerson began a series of lectures and writings in which he limned six figures who embodied the principles and aspirations of a still-young American republic. Emerson offers timeless meditations on the value of individual greatness, reconnecting readers with the everyday virtues of his "representative men": Plato, in whose writings are contained "the culture of nations"; Emanuel Swedenborg, a "rich discoverer" who strove to unite the scientific and spiritual planes; Michel de Montaigne, "the frankest and honestest of all writers"; William Shakespeare, who "wrote the text of modern life"; Napoleon Bonaparte, who had the "virtues and vices" of common men writ large; and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who "in conversation, in calamity ... finds new materials."" This Modern Library Paperback Classic reflects the author's corrections for an 1876 reprinting.

Synopsis

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

About the Author, Brenda Wineapple

RALPH WALDO EMERSON (1803?—1882) was a renowned lecturer and writer, whose ideas on philosophy, religion, and literature influenced many writers, including Henry David Thoreau and Walt Whitman. After an undergraduate career at Harvard, he studied at Harvard Divinity School and became an ordained minister, continuing a long line of ministers in his family. He traveled widely and lectured, and became well known for his publications Essays and Nature.

About the Introducer
BRENDA WINEAPPLE is the author of Hawthorne: A Life and Sister Brother: Gertrude and Leo Stein. She has twice a fellow of the National Endowment for the Humanities. She lives in New York City.