The Letters of Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Letters of Ralph Waldo Emerson Synopsis

This final volume marks the twilight years of this American writer's life. In the seventh decade of his life, Emerson was still a prolific writer and speaker, publishing "Society and Solitude" (1870), "Parnassus" (1875), and "Letters and Societal Aims" (1876) and lecturing frequently at Harvard University. Since Columbia University Press first published Ralph L. Rusk's six-volume set of "The Letters" in 1939, some 2000 new letters have been uncovered. These letters, including many to Henry David Thoreau, William Henry Furness, Margaret Fuller, and Thomas Carlyle among others offer an intimate portrait of Emerson. In the final four volumes of this edition, Tilton provides detailed annotations to create a running documentary history of Ralph Waldo Emerson's life and times. Volume Ten includes a name index covering volumes seven through ten, supplementing the index to the first six volumes included at the end of Volume Six.