Ralph Waldo Emerson in Context Literature in Context Series

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; 5. Asia Alan Hodder; 6. Travel Jason Berger; Part II. Emerson and Ideas: 'The Wide World': 7. Reading Jennifer Gurley; 8. Literature Albert J. von Frank; 9. Poetry and poetics Saundra Morris; 10. Nature David Greenham; 11. Divinity David M. Robinson; 12. Human mind Kristin Boudreau; 13. History Neal Dolan; 14. Democracy Daniel S. Malachuk; 15. Revolution Daniel Koch; 16. Science and technology Jennifer J. Baker; Part III. Emerson and Society: 'Hodiernal Circles': 17. Life against death Ronald A. Bosco; 18. Family Noelle Baker; 19. Friendship John Lysaker; 20. Ethics Susan L. Dunston; 21. Clubs Alfred G. Litton; 22. Gender Leslie Elizabeth Eckel; 23. Race Len Gougeon; 24. Reform Todd H. Richardson; 25. Money Joel Myerson; 26. Publishers David O. Dowling; Part IV. Emerson and his Legacies: From Infidel to Icon: 27. Portraits Leslie Perrin Wilson; 28. Fame Bonnie Carr O'Neill; 29. Biography Robert D. Habich; 30. Critics: 1836–1948 Glen M. Johnson; 31. Critics: 1948–2013 Randall Fuller; 32. A national icon Jillmarie Murphy; Further reading; Index.

Wesley T. Mott is Professor of English at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He organized the Ralph Waldo Emerson Society in 1989 and served as president for two terms. Author of 'The Strains of Eloquence': Emerson and His Sermons (1989), he edited the fourth volume of The Complete Sermons of Ralph Waldo Emerson as well as several reference works, including the Biographical Dictionary of Transcendentalism (1996) and the Encyclopedia of Transcendentalism (1996), and the three-volume American Renaissance in New England (2000–1). He is the recipient of the Ralph Waldo Emerson Society Distinguished Achievement Award.