The Rhodora (poem) Summary

The Rhodora by Ralph Waldo Emerson

This poem tells about a flower as beautiful as a rose, but remains humble and does not want to catch the attention. Ralph Waldo Emerson compares the Rhodora to the Christian virtue and humility. This poem shows us thoughts of Emerson on humanity's connection with the natural world. Also, the poem expresses the spiritual connection with a primitive nature and  the relashionship with God through nature. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Ralph Waldo Emerson was born on May 25, 1803, in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1821, he took over as director of his brother’s school for girls. In 1823, he wrote the poem "Good-Bye.” In 1832, he became a Transcendentalist, leading to the later essays "Self-Reliance" and "The American Scholar." Emerson continued to write and lecture into the late 1870s. He died on April 27, 1882, in Concord, Massachusetts.