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Analysis on Ralph Waldo Emerson

Critical analysis on American literature

I analyzed a selected poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson titled “Bacchus” written in 1847. In this poem I believe that he accurately depicted a metaphorical piece about everyone buying into things that weren’t worth buying into, and jading their chance to boost themselves further in life. It sounds much like today, but was more realistic in the 1800’s because it was spread by people and writings, real experiences, not television etc.

Emerson starts out the poem with “Bring me wine, but wine which never grew”.
This to me expresses his need to thirst for things, which were true and solid. Truth is a reoccurring theme in many of Emerson’s literary works. He wants knowledge, but things that have never been thought of before, ideas not yet conceived and put forth into motion in the world. He continues the poem with “Let its grapes the morn salute from a nocturnal root, which feels the acrid juice of Styx and Erebus”....

Posted by: Jessica Linton

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