Ralph Waldo Emerson in Context [Hardcover]

This collection explores the many intellectual and social contexts in which Emerson lived, thought and wrote.Comprising thirty-two fresh essays and a detailed chronology, this collection presents Ralph Waldo Emerson in the philosophical, aesthetic, theological, scientific, familial, social, and political contexts in which he thought and wrote, and surveys the popular and critical reception that made him a complex national and international icon.Comprising thirty-two fresh essays and a detailed chronology, this collection presents Ralph Waldo Emerson in the philosophical, aesthetic, theological, scientific, familial, social, and political contexts in which he thought and wrote, and surveys the popular and critical reception that made him a complex national and international icon.This collection of newly commissioned essays maps the vital contextual backgrounds to Ralph Waldo Emerson's life and work. The volume begins with a detailed chronology of Emerson's life and publishing history, setting the stage for a wide-ranging discussion of his geographic and environmental contexts from early and later life, including his travels and intellectual encounters with the United States, Europe, and Asia. It goes on to survey the intellectual terrain of the nineteenth century, exploring Emerson's relationship with key philosophical, aesthetic, theological, scientific, familial, social, and political contexts and issues. Finally, it assesses the popular and critical receptions that have solidified Emerson's legacy as a towering figure in American literature, criticism, and culture today. Fans, students, and scholars will turn to this reference time and again for a fuller understanding of this seminal American writer.List of illustrations; Notes on contributors; Preface; List of abbreviations; Chronology Sterling F. Delano; Part I. Emerson and a Sense of Place(s): 1. Boston and Concord Jacob Risinger; 2. America Roger Thompson; 3. Britain Wesley T. Mott; 4. Europe Jan Stievermann; lc·