Cover of Poems

Poems

  • Free to read
  • 4 hours to read
  • 21 chapters
  • Reading level: 8th & 9th grade

"Poems" by Ralph Waldo Emerson is a collection of poetry likely written in the mid-19th century. This compilation includes a variety of verses that explore themes of nature, spirituality, beauty, and the human condition, reflecting Emerson's deep philosophical insights and rich literary style. The collection draws from Emerson's personal experiences and observations of the world around him, making it a reflective and expansive body of work that speaks to the essence of the human experience. The opening of this volume features a preface that outlines the editor's approach to presenting Emerson's poems, including previously unpublished pieces and fragments that reveal personal reflections and autobiographical elements. This introduction sets the stage for the upcoming poems, which include engaging and thought-provoking works such as "Good-bye," expressing a yearning for freedom from worldly concerns, and "Each and All," which reflects on the interconnectedness of nature and personal existence. From the beginning, the collection promises to offer readers a journey through Emerson's contemplative meditations, inviting them to ponder their place within the broader tapestry of life.

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  • Poetry

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Chapter I

POEMS

GOOD-BYE

Good-bye, proud world! I'm going home:
Thou art not my friend, and I'm not thine.
Long through thy weary crowds I roam;
A river-ark on the ocean brine,
Long I've been tossed like the driven foam:
But now, proud world! I'm going home.

Good-bye to Flattery's fawning face;
To Grandeur with his wise grimace;
To upstart Wealth's averted eye;
To supple Office, low and high;
To crowded halls, to court and street;
To frozen hearts and hasting feet;
To those who go, and those who come;
Good-bye, proud world! I'm going home.

I am going to my own hearth-stone,
Bosomed in yon green hills alone,—
secret nook in a pleasant land,
Whose groves the frolic fairies planned;
Where arches green, the livelong day,
Echo the blackbird's roundelay,
And vulgar feet have never trod
A spot that is sacred to thought and God.

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Contents

  1. Preface
  2. Chapter I
  3. Chapter II
  4. Chapter I
  5. Chapter II
  6. Chapter III
  7. Chapter IV
  8. Chapter V
  9. Chapter I
  10. Chapter II
  11. Chapter III
  12. Chapter II
  13. Chapter II
  14. Chapter IV
  15. Chapter II
  16. Chapter I
  17. Chapter II
  18. Chapter III
  19. Chapter IV
  20. Chapter V
  21. Chapter VI

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About this edition

This free edition of Poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #12843, released 2004-07-07. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Poetry, American Literature.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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