What Ralph Waldo Emerson thinks about writing

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American essayist and lecturer (1803 to 1882); began his career as a Unitarian minister in Boston; author of essays including Self-Reliance, History, The Over-Soul and Fate.

Ralph Waldo Emerson did not write this page.

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Only Ralph Waldo Emerson on writing. See everyone on writing

1 dated position, c. 1844, in their own words. Our reading of what Ralph Waldo Emerson has said — not written or endorsed by them.

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1. c. 1844

   Our readingLanguage is fossil poetry: every dead word was once a vivid picture

   Their wordsThe etymologist finds the deadest word to have been once a brilliant picture. Language is fossil poetry.

   ↗Essays, Second Series (1844)gutenberg.org All 20 from this book