One of the greatest thinkers of all time who contributed to the Transcendentalist movement was Ralph Waldo Emerson. European, Asian, and Greek influences were among the many inspirations in the life of this great philosopher and poet. Many rare and challenging events took place that concluded to the magnificent, but unique, mind of this influential thinker. The many wonderful works of art ranged from his essay, "Nature," expressing the mystical unity of nature, to the meaningful, but hilarious poem, "The Mountain and the Squirrel."
Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston, Massachusetts on May 25, 1803. Seven of his ancestors were ministers, including his father, William of the First Church (Unitarian) of Boston. Emerson attended Harvard University and graduated at the age of 18. For the following three years he taught at a school for ladies. …