Ralph Waldo Emerson

What makes a person a poet? And what distinguishes a poet from an expert, a writer, or a politician? Ralph Waldo Emerson explores these questions in his essay. Although it was published in 1844, it has lost none of its relevance—quite the opposite. For Emerson, poets are the true, genuine guardians of the beauty of our world. They strive for an open perspective, recognize the delicate threads of everything that surrounds us, and possess the ability to convey these truths to others, to us. However, Emerson also warns: anyone who wishes to be a true poet must be willing to leave behind things, beliefs, ideas, sometimes even people, and ultimately themselves, their ego. They must be ready to fully engage. Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "The Poet" is presented here in a revised edition.