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Ralph Waldo Emerson's The American Scholar

857 Words4 Pages
Poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson was an extremely intelligent and insightful being in his time. His work has left such an impact on people all over the world for generations, and will most likely continue to do so for many more generations to come. Emerson’s philosophies and ideals have been examined and used for numerous debates, comparisons, contrasts, and perhaps his most examined work besides the notorious “Self-Reliance” would be “The American Scholar”. In the speech he gives his perspective on the American ideal. Decades later, a number of public figures have also incorporated their own take on the Amerian ideal into their speeches. Former president John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address has a powerful message about the unity of Americans, while current president Donald Trump talks about how strong American citizens are. In “TheAmerican Scholar” Emerson concludes his speech with his take on the American ideal. He emphasizes that the perfect scholar should be courageous, independent, and a maverick of sorts. Trump and Kennedy are known for being different from other presidents in their own way, but they both possess the qualities mentioned previously. He also states that the scholar should demonstrate that America’s reputation as a cowardly society is false. Trump and Kennedy’s speeches exhibits aspects of America that make it an excellent country. President Trump’s State of the Union address created a buzz for being slightly longer than past president’s before
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