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Ralph Waldo Emerson by Ralph L. Rusk - Quiz
Contributed by: Collier
  • 1. Ralph Waldo Emerson by Ralph L. Rusk is a profound biographical exploration of the life and philosophy of one of America's most influential transcendentalist thinkers and writers. Rusk delves into Emerson's early life, his formative years at Harvard, and the pivotal experiences that shaped his views on individuality, nature, and society. The biography meticulously examines Emerson's relationships with notable contemporaries, such as Henry David Thoreau and Nathaniel Hawthorne, while also reflecting on his impact on literature, philosophy, and the American cultural landscape. Through in-depth analysis and a wealth of historical context, Rusk presents Emerson not only as a literary figure but as a social thinker whose ideas on self-reliance, the interconnectedness of all living things, and the importance of nature continue to resonate in modern discourse. The biography is richly detailed, offering readers a comprehensive understanding of Emerson’s contributions to American thought and his enduring legacy as a champion of individualism and a critic of conformity.

    What is the primary focus of Ralph L. Rusk's biography of Emerson?
A) Transcendentalist movement history
B) Emerson's financial affairs
C) Emerson's life and intellectual development
D) Emerson's poetry exclusively
  • 2. What aspect of Emerson's character does Rusk emphasize?
A) His political ambition
B) His intellectual independence
C) His social conformity
D) His business acumen
  • 3. What does Rusk reveal about Emerson's early career?
A) His business ventures
B) His struggle with ministry
C) His political aspirations
D) His immediate literary success
  • 4. What does Rusk show about Emerson's lecturing career?
A) It was his primary goal
B) It was unsuccessful
C) He disliked it
D) It was his main income source
  • 5. How does Rusk view Emerson's relationship with nature?
A) As superficial
B) As scientific only
C) As central to his philosophy
D) As contradictory
  • 6. How does Rusk present Emerson's public reception?
A) As immediately widespread
B) As consistently negative
C) As growing over time
D) As limited to America
  • 7. How does Rusk treat Emerson's poetry?
A) As integral to his thought
B) As separate from essays
C) As technically poor
D) As his main achievement
  • 8. How does Rusk present Emerson's concept of self-reliance?
A) As sudden inspiration
B) As borrowed entirely
C) As developed over time
D) As inconsistent
  • 9. What year was Rusk's biography of Emerson published?
A) 1850
B) 1965
C) 1903
D) 1949
  • 10. Which prestigious award did Rusk's biography win?
A) Nobel Prize
B) National Book Award
C) Pulitzer Prize
D) Bancroft Prize
  • 11. Where was Emerson born?
A) New York City
B) Concord, Massachusetts
C) Boston, Massachusetts
D) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • 12. What was the name of Emerson's first wife?
A) Lydia Jackson
B) Margaret Fuller
C) Sophia Peabody
D) Ellen Tucker
  • 13. Which Harvard position did Emerson hold?
A) Overseer
B) President
C) Professor of Philosophy
D) Librarian
  • 14. What was Emerson's most famous essay?
A) The American Scholar
B) Nature
C) Self-Reliance
D) Experience
  • 15. Which journal did Emerson edit?
A) The North American Review
B) Harper's Magazine
C) The Dial
D) The Atlantic Monthly
  • 16. What was the name of Emerson's second wife?
A) Ellen Tucker
B) Lydia Jackson
C) Louisa May Alcott
D) Elizabeth Peabody
  • 17. Which famous writer did Emerson mentor?
A) Nathaniel Hawthorne
B) Walt Whitman
C) Herman Melville
D) Henry David Thoreau
  • 18. What college did Emerson attend?
A) Harvard
B) Brown
C) Yale
D) Princeton
  • 19. What caused Emerson's early retirement from ministry?
A) Poor health
B) Family obligations
C) Financial reasons
D) Doctrinal disagreements
  • 20. Which European philosopher greatly influenced Emerson?
A) Immanuel Kant
B) Friedrich Nietzsche
C) Jean-Jacques Rousseau
D) John Locke
  • 21. What was the name of Emerson's first book?
A) Essays: First Series
B) Nature
C) Representative Men
D) The Conduct of Life
  • 22. What was Emerson's father's profession?
A) Merchant
B) Minister
C) Lawyer
D) Physician
  • 23. What was Emerson's famous Harvard address called?
A) Self-Reliance
B) The Transcendentalist
C) The Divinity School Address
D) The American Scholar
  • 24. Which poet did Emerson help introduce to American audiences?
A) Robert Frost
B) Emily Dickinson
C) Walt Whitman
D) Edgar Allan Poe
  • 25. What was the cause of Emerson's death?
A) Stroke
B) Pneumonia
C) Tuberculosis
D) Heart failure
  • 26. What was Emerson's middle name?
A) Waldo
B) Warren
C) Whitman
D) William
  • 27. Which European writer did Emerson meet during his travels?
A) Charles Dickens
B) Thomas Carlyle
C) Victor Hugo
D) Leo Tolstoy
  • 28. Which reform movement did Emerson support?
A) Abolitionism
B) Women's suffrage
C) Labor unions
D) Temperance
  • 29. What was the name of Emerson's home in Concord?
A) Orchard House
B) The Old Manse
C) Bush
D) Wayside
  • 30. What was Rusk's profession besides being a biographer?
A) Professor
B) Editor
C) Journalist
D) Librarian
  • 31. What literary period is Emerson most associated with?
A) Transcendentalism
B) Modernism
C) Romanticism
D) Realism
  • 32. In what year was Emerson born?
A) 1820
B) 1795
C) 1803
D) 1810
  • 33. Which famous essay collection did Emerson publish in 1841?
A) Nature
B) Essays: First Series
C) The Conduct of Life
D) Representative Men
  • 34. Which institution did Rusk work for while writing the biography?
A) Harvard University
B) Columbia University
C) Library of Congress
D) Smithsonian Institution
  • 35. What makes Rusk's biography considered definitive?
A) Popular writing style
B) First biography published
C) Personal friendship with Emerson
D) Extensive use of primary sources
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