Thoughts of a Poetess on Emerson

by ~Dovey

Thoughts on Emerson

"For we do not speak now of men of poetical talents, or of industry and skill in metre, but of the true poet." (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essay I The Poet)

And so contends dear Emerson
the poet be a poorer man -
in tune to Nature's dimension,
close to her lakes and floral span.

The man who walks her forests long,
and sails her seas from shore to shore,
who hears her sacred earthbound song --
expressed in ways none has before.

Whose wealth with words is his divine,
to savor when in passion's throes,
whilst water then will taste as wine,
and Beauty's manifest expose.

Such man in time who will express,
the gentleness among the strong,
smell flowers trimming Nature's dress,
and sing as her devotees throng.

Extol her virtue -- all to hear
of her enamoring desire,
with eyes of amber, bright and clear,
bewitching as eternal fire.

With sounds so sweet, as Siren's can,
to which a man could lose his soul,
the poet is but half a man,
who, through expression, becomes whole.

And so I say, that much is true,
however, I am not to be
confused with the male retinue,
as I espouse poetically.

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Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 - April 27, 1882) was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society, and he disseminated his thoughts through dozens of published essays and more than 1,500 public lectures across the United States. (source: Wikipedia) (I wanted to share more of his poetry than biography today, he really was a prolific writer.)

My inspiration today is from Emerson's essay, which is quoted at the beginning of my poem. He begins his essay with this poem:

From Essay I The Poet
RWE.org

A moody child and wildly wise
Pursued the game with joyful eyes,
Which chose, like meteors, their way,
And rived the dark with private ray:
They overleapt the horizon's edge,
Searched with Apollo's privilege;
Through man, and woman, and sea, and star,
Saw the dance of nature forward far;
Through worlds, and races, and terms, and times,
Saw musical order, and pairing rhymes.

Olympian bards who sung
Divine ideas below,
Which always find us young,
And always keep us so.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Glory Of Friendship - Poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand,
nor the kindly smile nor the joy of companionship;
it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when
he discovers that someone else believes in him and is
willing to trust him.

To Laugh Often And Much - Poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson

To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of the intelligent people
and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better
whether by a healthy child, a garden patch,
or a redeemed social condition;
to know that one life has breathed easier
because you lived here.
This is to have succeeded.

Poems

AND when I am entombed in my place,
Be it remembered of a single man,
He never, though he dearly loved his race,
For fear of human eyes swerved from his plan.
OH what is Heaven but the fellowship
Of minds that each can stand against the world
By its own meek and incorruptible will?
THE days pass over me
And I am still the same;
The aroma of my life is gone
With the flower with which it came.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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A poet describes a poet describes a poet...

A chapter in the book Of Poets and Poetry

Thoughts of a Poetess on Emerson

by ~Dovey

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