"The Poet" is an essay by

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

writer

Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champ ...

, written between 1841 and 1843 and published in his '' Essays: Second Series'' in 1844. It is not about "men of poetical talents, or of industry and skill in meter, but of the true poet." Emerson begins the essay with the premise that man is naturally incomplete, since he "is only half himself, the other half is his expression." Emerson says that a poet represents humanity, as one that acknowledges interdependence between the material and spiritual world:

Overview

In the essay, Emerson expresses the need for the United States to have its own new and unique poet to write about the new country's virtues and vices: The final lines in the essay read as follows:

Insights

The essay offers a profound look at the poem and its role in society. In a paragraph mid-essay, Emerson observes:

Influence

The essay played an instrumental role in the 1855 appearance of the first edition of

Walt Whitman Walter Whitman (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among t ...

's collection of poems, ''

Leaves of Grass ''Leaves of Grass'' is a poetry collection by American poet Walt Whitman. Though it was first published in 1855, Whitman spent most of his professional life writing and rewriting ''Leaves of Grass'', revising it multiple times until his death. Th ...

.'' After reading the essay, Whitman consciously set out to answer Emerson's call. When the book was first published, Whitman sent a copy to Emerson, whose letter in response helped launch the book to success. In that letter Emerson called the collection "the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom America has yet contributed".Miller, James E., Jr. ''Walt Whitman''. New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc. 1962: 27.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Poet, The Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson 1844 essays