Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, poet and lecturer. He was a champion of individualism and he expressed his thoughts by writing lectures and then revised them to essays. Emerson wrote his first collection of essays in the year 1841 and from there till the 1844 was his fertile period.
Emerson wrote on various numbers of subjects which included freedom, individuality, the ability of human kind to realize almost anything and also the relationship between the soul and surrounding world. His writing, especially the essays remains among the linchpins in American thinking and his works have greatly influenced the poets and writes that have followed him. He published his first essay, Nature, anonymously and a year later, he delivered the present famous Phi Beta Kappa, in1849.
Emerson made his living by giving lectures and he was a great professional in it. His lectures were widely accepted and applauded.
Later in the year starting 1867, Emerson started facing memory loss and by the year 1879 he found it very much embarrassing to give public speeches as at times he would search for words that he wanted to say. In 1882, he died of pneumonia.
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His poem, Good-bye is one piece where he express the feeling of being separated from this world and how achieving anything during one`s lifetime, cannot be taken along after one`s death.
In the beginning of the poem, he says with pride, good-bye to the proud world, where he just puts in plain words that he is happy in leaving this world that is full of pride. He says that neither is he a friend to the world nor the world a friend to him, juts like foam he has been wandering here and now he is leaving back to his home.
He then describes in simple rhythmic lines about the different faces and the attitude people have in this world. He bids good-bye to the flattery faces, fawning faces, to the magnificent wise people, to the wealthy people, to the crowded streets, to the frozen hearts when there is no consideration of humanity and to the hasting feet’s where he represent to people who find time for nothing. He bids goodbye to those who come and those who go , as it makes no difference in his life.
In the third stanza he says that he is going back to his own hearth stone, where he represents his own grave that he has explained in great beauty. He has imagined his grave to be on a beautiful hill top that is peaceful and pleasant. A place where the fairies would be there and the vulgar feet’s do not pass over them and he is at peace with eternity.
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Lastly he says that he feels safe in his sylvan home, where he is stretched beneath the pines and is far away from the pride world, he lays peaceful and sees the evening start and thinks, how foolish is man to gather all that he thinks is valuable as he comes barehanded to the house of God.
A great poem with simplicity in words that gives a clear understanding that, no matter who you are or what you attain in this world, when he go to the other world and reunite with God, all these does not matter and hence you are at peace.