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Meaning
This reads as an appeal to stay attentive, because beauty is framed here as a sign of something larger than taste or decoration. It can be taken to mean that looking closely at the world is a kind of reverence. It lands on an ordinary walk, when a small scene, a face, or a patch of light suddenly feels worth noticing.
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Original Language & Translation
Originally said in English.
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About Ralph Waldo Emerson
American essayist and poet of the 19th century, Emerson is best known for his transcendentalist philosophy and influential lectures on self-reliance and individualism. His works, including "Self-Reliance" and "Nature," championed intuition, personal experience, and the inherent goodness of humanity.
More from Ralph Waldo Emerson (526 quotes) →More quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “We cannot approach beauty. Its nature is like opaline doves'-neck lustres, hovering and evanescent. Herein it…”Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “The selfish man suffers more from his selfishness than he from whom that selfishness withholds some important…”Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “The highest revelation is that God is in every man.”Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “By necessity, by proclivity, and by delight, we all quote.”Ralph Waldo Emerson
Handwriting: more sayings
- “I just hate sitting and writing - I had to do that in school. Plus, I have terrible handwriting.”Saul Kripke
- “Seeing my father's handwriting puts me in contact with the man he was at each stage of his life.”John Carter Cash
- “it's okay to be addicted to beauty," Mom says, all dreamy. "Emerson said 'beauty is God's handwriting.”Jandy Nelson
Explore God
- “Morality is of the highest importance - but for us, not for God.”Albert Einstein
- “I think creating of any sort, whatever line you're in, is paramount - you can be an architect, you can be a b…”Ellen Greene
- “It's disheartening to write goals from year to year, looking back only to see you are in the same place. You…”Monica Johnson
READ THE SOURCE
Books by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Essays: First Series
Includes Self-Reliance.