Divine Figurative Language In Self-Reliance, By Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the Piece “Self-reliance” written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the most influential writers in America, speaking to the individual about being true to who people are, and not who society expects people to be. He explores the concept that greatness is achieved by rising above the average person; making one’s thoughts extraordinary, instead of just ordinary. He uses strategies such as metaphors, personification, syntax, and more, to shine a light on his purposeful perspective. Emerson applies divine figurative language to express the importance of being who people are when he remarks, “Always the soul hears an admonition in such lines […]” (1) Here he is depicting the image that people are supposed to listen to their hearts and souls, because that is their direction. Warning and counsel comes from within, and listening to that voice is what distinguishes an ordinary person, from an extraordinary one, taking that leap from society, and into the life of the individual, where people listen to

He demonstrates diction when he relays words like “providence” (3), “soul” (1), and “majesty” (1), to substantiate the idea that everyone has a destiny to become a better person, and that god is the ultimate protector. This enables people to be fierce as a lion in making their thoughts, beliefs, and actions their own. In Waldo Emerson’s essays titled “self-evidence”, he uses many rhetorical strategies and sentence structure to allow his readers to understand the importance of being true to who you are, not who others want you to be. One can only achieve the act of greatness, if they rise above the average thinking, and make their thoughts extraordinary. His tone is confident yet urgent, to press the importance. Overall the audience feels like they can achieve greatness, being who they truly are on the