Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotes - Page 132

• We are like travellers using the cinders of a volcano to roast their eggs. Whilst we see that it always stands ready to clothe what we would say, we cannot avoid the question whether the characters are not significant of themselves.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Character, Volcanoes, Eggs

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1981). “The Portable Emerson: New Edition”, p.43, Penguin

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• Be sure then to read no mean books. Shun the spawn of the press on the gossip of the hour. Do not read what you shall learn, without asking, in the street and the train.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Book, Reading, Mean

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1971). “The Collected Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Society and solitude”, p.99, Harvard University Press

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• Let us not be too much acquainted. I would have a man enter his house through a hall filled with heroic and sacred sculptures, that he might not want the hint of tranquillity and self-poise.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Men, Self, House

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (2000). “Selected Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson: (A Modern Library E-Book)”, p.433, Modern Library

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• Really, all things and persons are related to us, but according to our nature, they act on us not at once, but in succession, andwe are made aware of their presence one at a time. All persons, all things which we have known, are here present, and many more than we see; the world is full.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  World, Influence, Made

  Ralph Waldo Emerson, David Mikics (2012). “The Annotated Emerson”, p.272, Harvard University Press

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• It is said, no man can write but one book; and if a man have a defect, it is apt to leave its impression on all his performances.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Book, Writing, Men

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1866). “The Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Comprising His Essays, Lectures, Poems, and Orations”, p.363

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• Expediency of literature, reason of literature, lawfulness of writing down a thought, is questioned; much is to say on both sides,and, while the fight waxes hot, thou, dearest scholar, stick to thy foolish task, add a line every hour, and between whiles add a line.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Writing, Fighting, Hot

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1981). “The Portable Emerson: New Edition”, p.209, Penguin

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• Men are born to write. The gardener saves every slip, and seed, and peach-stone: his vocation is to be a planter of plants. Not less does the writer attend his affair. Whatever he beholds or experiences, comes to him as a model, and sits for its picture. He counts it all nonsense that they say, that some things are undescribable. He believes that all that can be thought can be written, first or last; and he would report the Holy Ghost, or attempt it.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Believe, Writing, Men

  Ralph Waldo Emerson, Robert Ernest Spiller, Alfred Riggs Ferguson, Wallace E. Williams, Joseph Slater (1987). “The Collected Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Representative men: seven lectures”, p.152, Harvard University Press

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• In the learned journal, in the influential newspaper, I discern no form; only some irresponsible shadow; oftener some monied corporation, or some dangler, who hopes, in the mask and robes of his paragraph, to pass for somebody. But through every clause and part of speech of the right book I meet the eyes of the most determined men; his force and terror inundate every word: the commas and dashes are alive; so that the writing is athletic and nimble,--can go far and live long.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Book, Writing, Eye

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• I am present at the sowing of the seed of the world. With a geometry of sunbeams, the soul lays the foundations of nature.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Knowledge, Soul, Foundation

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1969). “Journals and Miscellaneous Notebooks of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Volume VII: 1838-1842”, p.413, Harvard University Press

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• It never was in the power of any man or any community to call the arts into being. They come to serve his actual wants, never to please his fancy.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Art, Creativity, Men

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson (Illustrated)”, p.2417, Delphi Classics

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• The highest praise we can attribute to any writer, painter, sculptor, builder, is, that he actually possessed the thought or feeling with which he has inspired us.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Inspirational, Art, Feelings

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1971). “The Collected Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Society and solitude”, p.23, Harvard University Press

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• Herein is the explanation of the analogies, which exist in all the arts. They are the re-appearance of one mind, working in many materials to many temporary ends. Raphael paints wisdom, Handel sings it, Phidias carves it, Shakspeare writes it, Wren builds it, Columbus sails it, Luther preaches it, Washington arms it, Watt mechanizes it. Painting was called "silent poetry," and poetry "speaking painting." The laws of each art are convertible into the laws of every other.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Art, Writing, Law

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1870). “Society and Solitude: Twelve Chapters”, p.48, London S. Low, Son & Marston 1870.

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• I have heard that stiff people lose something of their awkwardness under high ceilings, and in spacious halls. I think, sculptureand painting have an effect to teach us manners, and abolish hurry.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Art, Thinking, People

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1872). “Representative men. English traits. Conduct of life”, p.399

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• But in every constitution some large degree of animal vigor is necessary as material foundation for the higher qualities of the art.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Art, Animal, Quality

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1971). “The Collected Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Society and solitude”, p.34, Harvard University Press

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• Virtue runs before the muse,
  and defies her skill;
  she is rapt and doth refuse
  to wait a painter's will.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Running, Art, Skills

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1847). “Poems”, p.192

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• The eye is the best of artists.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Art, Eye, Artist

  Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ronald A. Bosco, Joel Myerson (2015). “Ralph Waldo Emerson”, p.39, Harvard University Press

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• A work of art is an abstract or epitome of the world. It is the result or expression of nature, in miniature. For, although the works of nature are innumerable and all different, the result or the expression of them all is similar and single.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Art, Expression, Different

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (2012). “Nature and Other Essays”, p.9, Courier Corporation

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• Art, in the artist, is proportion, or, a habitual respect to the whole by an eye loving beauty in details. And the wonder and charm of it is the sanity in insanity which it denotes.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Respect, Art, Eye

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1870). “The Prose Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson”, p.539, Рипол Классик

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• Perpetual modernness is the measure of merit, in every work of art; since the author of it was not misled by anything short- livedor local, but abode by real and abiding traits.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Art, Real, Abiding

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• There is no architect
  Can build as the Muse can;
  She is skilful to select
  Materials for her plan.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Inspirational, Art, Muse

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (2015). “Poems”, p.150, The Floating Press

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• In the Greek cities, it was reckoned profane, that any person should pretend a property in a work of art, which belonged to all who could behold it.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Art, Cities, Greek

  The Conduct of Life "Wealth" (1860)

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• How often we must remember the art of the surgeon, which, in replacing the broken bone, contents itself with releasing the parts from false position; they fly into place by the action of the muscles. On this art of nature all our arts rely.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Art, Nature, Broken

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1872). “The Prose Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Representative men. English traits. Conduct of life”, p.379

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• We know that madness belongs to love,--what power to paint a vile object in hues of heaven.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Love, Power, Heaven

  Ralph Waldo Emerson, David Mikics (2012). “The Annotated Emerson”, p.423, Harvard University Press

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• Our prayers are prophets.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Prayer, Prophet, Our Prayers

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson (Illustrated)”, p.2372, Delphi Classics

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• As soon as the man is at one with God, he will not beg. He will then see prayer in all action.

  Ralph Waldo Emerson

  Prayer, Men, Action

  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1981). “The Portable Emerson: New Edition”, p.129, Penguin

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