Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
"it is easy in solitude to live after our own: but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude" (Pg 536)
The picture above is of a group of crystal balls. I feel that this picture best portrays Emerson's quote I have chosen from "Self-Reliance". His quote speaks of his definition of a great man... "is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude" (Pg 536). As you can see the crystal ball that stands out the most is in the middle of the crowd. The ball is gleaming, full of beauty, sweetness, and independence. The surrounding crystal balls are those of the general population that are refereed to as "followers". Emerson describes those that follow others thoughts and actions rather then having their own set of thoughts and actions, he says that "imitation is suicide" (pg. 533). The different shades on the objects can account for Emerson's quote. The darker, more shaded objects are those that are filed with the falls hopes of the government. The majestic crystal ball can be best describe as a pure individual that would go to prison for what he speaks to be his mind. Transcendentalists believed in the same mentality. From our lecture on Transcendentalism, they were said to put emphasis on individual power, Eastern thought, and they were know for the integration of spiritual and material worlds. The quote that I have posed in this blog, has put much emphasis on the people for their right to obtain individual power.
I like this one because it is a great example of standing out on your own and the ball that is light up represents exactly that. Independence being a leader and not being follower doesn't give you choice it take the choice away. It also take the thought away you are virtually a robot do as your told. This is why it is unrealistic to ask a teenager to listen because their whole being is telling them to be defiant. They are to move the next generation to change for good or worse. I believe without that inner voice telling to defy we would not have freedom, the right to vote and protesting.
ReplyDeleteI really like this picture. It perfectly exemplifies your quote of "standing out in the crowd". Immediately upon seeing this picture I knew what it was relevant to without even reading the quote. Emerson was all about "standing out" and having your own voice. The gleaming and beauty of that one lonely ball amongst a crowd of uniformity just screams "be your own self, shine your own light, don't conform to the norm". Very good job =)
ReplyDeleteThis picture definately fits your quote, and you did a great job of breaking it down to explain how different parts of the picture describe different parts of the quote. I like how you talked about the people having the right for their individual power. There are two few people today that are willing to take the part of the crystal ball shown in the picture. Most people, including me a lot of the time, get pursuaded by the majority of the crowd and don't stand behind their opinion. Great post and that's a great picture.
ReplyDeleteI agree. This is definitely a great picture that represents your quote. The crystal ball that is lit up shows its independence and how it stands out from all of the others. The individual power that the crystal ball has is much more intense than the other balls. The photo characterizes Emerson’s "self reliance" a lot and shows that there are too many followers in this world and there needs to be more people who stand out.
ReplyDeleteI really agree with you. I think the picture you chose goes perfectly with the quote from Emerson, as well as all of Self-Reliance. You also included a lot of other great references to this idea. I think he is right though, it is so much easier to stay true to yourself when you are alone, but the more time you spend around others, the harder it gets to be yourself and not be influenced by others. Not all influence is bad, of course, but I think that is not the point he is making here. Emerson is talking about straying from your own character and not being yourself.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great picture to go along with the quote from "Self Reliance". I agree that it does a good job of showing one person standing out in the middle of the crowd who is the "leader", and the rest of the dull colored ones who all look alike being "followers". I also like the way you said the crystal that stands out is the one who would go to jail for speaking its mind, just like the way transcedentalists would from that time era.
ReplyDeleteWhat I really liked about how this represented the importance of being yourself is that not only does the one ball stand out because it is blue but it is shining as if it is proud to be blue. All of the other balls are look exactly the same and they all appear dull, as if they have no life in them. I like how you mentioned that Emerson said, "imitation is suicide", when all of the conforming balls are black, a color that usually represents death.
ReplyDeleteI like your picture, too. Glittering with beauty, the blue crystal ball is very prominent in this picture. This great picture seems to represent the whole of Emerson’s “Self-reliance,” rather than just the quote you chose. The crystal ball looks brimming with self-confidence. In fact, I sometimes lose my belief in myself. When I get stuck, I tend to be irresolute. While studying in the Unites States, I have to believe myself and hold out to the end.
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