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【Abstract】Ralph Emerson was a leading American poet， as well as a philosopher known for his championship of the American Transcendentalism movement. This essay seeks to explore his transcendentalist mindscape in his poem Each and All， so as to elucidate his viewpoint of philosophical doctrines when creating.
【Key words】Emerson； Each and All； Transcendentalism
1. Introduction
Ralph Emerson was a leading American poet， as well as a philosopher known for his championship of the American Transcendentalism movement（Zuo Jinmei， 2006：283）， which prevailed in America from 1850s and ended with the rise of Realism trend. Each and All was one of Emerson’s early poems. Previous research papers have sought to illustrate and interpret his view of nature（Zhou Chenjia， 2013） and his transcendentalism and confucianism（Zhao Min， 2006） exclusively. Liu Yunfeng wrote to comment the poem from three aspects （Liu Yunfeng， 2011）. But few has given a provoking and transcendentality-bound explanatory illustration of his philosophical poem Each and All. In this essay， I tend to shoot a transcendental viewpoint toward this poem and have a relatively comprehensive commentary on the poem so as to read Emerson’s philosophical mindscape. The essay is written in major three parts to give an interpretation on the poem and Emerson’s philosophical tenets. Therefore， I try to render this poem to a mind-provoking reading in the process of individual experiences as a whole.
2. Commentary on Each and All over a Perspective of Transcendentalism
2.1 Review of American Transcendentalism
American Transcendentalism or “New England Transcendentalism” or “American Renaissance” （1836—1855） was the first American intellectual movement， which was the climax of American Romanticism（Zuo Jinmei， 2006：89）. The term “transcendentalism” is derived from the Latin verb transcendere meaning to rise above， or to pass beyond the limits. Transcendentalism has been defined as the recognition in man of the capacity of acquiring knowledge transcending the reach of the five senses， or of knowing truth intuitively， or of reaching the divine without the need of an intercessor. As the leader of this movement， Ralph Waldo Emerson interpreted transcendentalism as “whatever belongs to the class of intuitive thought，” and as “idealism as it appears in 1842.” The major concepts that accompanied transcendentalism can be summarized in the following five points.
It stressed the power of intuition， believing that people could learn things both from the outside world by means of the five senses and from the inner world by intuition. The second stanza serves as a mental conflict or a rising action that goes further to take three empirical argumentation as specific exemplifications aiming to examine the poet’s meditation： all are needed by each one， nothing is fair or good alone. The sparrow’s note（voice） can not achieve that pleasing or melodious once divorced from natural elements such as tree， river and sky. That the alder bough， river and sky as well as all the surroundings or nature contribute（s） to the spirit of the vivid singing， which contributes to that of the sparrow. Likewise， shells achieve their colorful enamel with the promotion of the sun， sand and the wild uproar. Once “I” fetch them home， they will become unsightly and noisome things. Symbolic nature has enlightenment thrust on “my” mind and give healthy and restorative instruction on “my” perceptive actions. The above two argumentative examples are discussed over the connection among natural symbols， the last example the poet tries to focus on human individuality： a woman is graceful when she remains single and a virgin， but when she is pursued and married to her swain， “the gay enchantment was undone， a gentle wife but fairy none.” The poet seems to eulogize the enchantment and nobility of individuality at the same time of criticizing its being transiency or its absence of eternity of beauty. The second stanza is the further empirical analysis of Emerson’s meditation and a key process to lead to his subjectivity-affirmative conclusion in the next stanza.
The third stanza proceeds as a climax， meanwhile， a denouement or resolution of the whole poem. “Then I said， ‘I covet truth” speaks out the poet’s spiritual or intuitive announcement， which shoot his mental initiation out explicitly. Furthermore， he continues， “beauty is unripe childhood’s cheat， I leave it behind with the games of youth”. The poet overthrows his initially pessimistic thought that beauty could not last forever and is nothing but a “childhood’s cheat”. Then， in a somewhat reversal， he is disillusioned by his enchanting contexts—nature. Standing against the summer ground， with care-free breath， the poet’s alienation or solitude fades as he merges into the all： “beauty through my senses stole， I yield myself to the perfect whole”. In announcing so， Emerson demonstrates that the self-centeredness of the perceiving ego is the price of individualization. To conclude， the three stanzas are logically structured for one proceeds with an advance of perceptual promotion， which shows Emerson’s self-disciplined mindscape. 2.3 Reflection
A poem is the poet’s mindscape in microcosm. Emerson believes that God is sublime， the center of the universe and the origin of all the things. Man obtains his/er life from God and will be doomed once against God’s will. Emerson is an idealist， he seeks to lay significance on one’s spiritual side or the “oversoul”， by which he means the “the infinitude of man”.
3. Conclusion
Each and All was one of Emerson’s early poems. As the championship of the American Transcendentalism Movement， he is an idealist who lay emphasis on individual’s intuition and on spirit or the “oversoul” （Zuo Jinmei， 2006：89）as well as on symbolic nature which is the omnipresent and omnipotent God in disguise. What the poem delivers firstly is that there exists a super and more implicit relationship between man and nature other than the material interdependence—spirit. Second， it stresses interdependence of the animate parts that go to make up a world and man can achieve harmony with nature through spirit. Thirdly， the poet emphasizes on individual’s subjectivity via using the I—mood（Zuo Jinmei， 2006：289） to substantialize his argument rather than to release subjective lyricism.
References：
[1]劉云凤.Nothing is fair or good alone—Commentary on Each and All by Emerson.教育界·基础教育研究，2011.
[2]左金梅.美国文学（修订版）[M].中国海洋大学出版社.2006.8.
[3]左金梅.英美浪漫主義诗歌概论与欣赏[M].中国海洋大学出版社.2006.12.
【Key words】Emerson； Each and All； Transcendentalism
1. Introduction
Ralph Emerson was a leading American poet， as well as a philosopher known for his championship of the American Transcendentalism movement（Zuo Jinmei， 2006：283）， which prevailed in America from 1850s and ended with the rise of Realism trend. Each and All was one of Emerson’s early poems. Previous research papers have sought to illustrate and interpret his view of nature（Zhou Chenjia， 2013） and his transcendentalism and confucianism（Zhao Min， 2006） exclusively. Liu Yunfeng wrote to comment the poem from three aspects （Liu Yunfeng， 2011）. But few has given a provoking and transcendentality-bound explanatory illustration of his philosophical poem Each and All. In this essay， I tend to shoot a transcendental viewpoint toward this poem and have a relatively comprehensive commentary on the poem so as to read Emerson’s philosophical mindscape. The essay is written in major three parts to give an interpretation on the poem and Emerson’s philosophical tenets. Therefore， I try to render this poem to a mind-provoking reading in the process of individual experiences as a whole.
2. Commentary on Each and All over a Perspective of Transcendentalism
2.1 Review of American Transcendentalism
American Transcendentalism or “New England Transcendentalism” or “American Renaissance” （1836—1855） was the first American intellectual movement， which was the climax of American Romanticism（Zuo Jinmei， 2006：89）. The term “transcendentalism” is derived from the Latin verb transcendere meaning to rise above， or to pass beyond the limits. Transcendentalism has been defined as the recognition in man of the capacity of acquiring knowledge transcending the reach of the five senses， or of knowing truth intuitively， or of reaching the divine without the need of an intercessor. As the leader of this movement， Ralph Waldo Emerson interpreted transcendentalism as “whatever belongs to the class of intuitive thought，” and as “idealism as it appears in 1842.” The major concepts that accompanied transcendentalism can be summarized in the following five points.
It stressed the power of intuition， believing that people could learn things both from the outside world by means of the five senses and from the inner world by intuition. The second stanza serves as a mental conflict or a rising action that goes further to take three empirical argumentation as specific exemplifications aiming to examine the poet’s meditation： all are needed by each one， nothing is fair or good alone. The sparrow’s note（voice） can not achieve that pleasing or melodious once divorced from natural elements such as tree， river and sky. That the alder bough， river and sky as well as all the surroundings or nature contribute（s） to the spirit of the vivid singing， which contributes to that of the sparrow. Likewise， shells achieve their colorful enamel with the promotion of the sun， sand and the wild uproar. Once “I” fetch them home， they will become unsightly and noisome things. Symbolic nature has enlightenment thrust on “my” mind and give healthy and restorative instruction on “my” perceptive actions. The above two argumentative examples are discussed over the connection among natural symbols， the last example the poet tries to focus on human individuality： a woman is graceful when she remains single and a virgin， but when she is pursued and married to her swain， “the gay enchantment was undone， a gentle wife but fairy none.” The poet seems to eulogize the enchantment and nobility of individuality at the same time of criticizing its being transiency or its absence of eternity of beauty. The second stanza is the further empirical analysis of Emerson’s meditation and a key process to lead to his subjectivity-affirmative conclusion in the next stanza.
The third stanza proceeds as a climax， meanwhile， a denouement or resolution of the whole poem. “Then I said， ‘I covet truth” speaks out the poet’s spiritual or intuitive announcement， which shoot his mental initiation out explicitly. Furthermore， he continues， “beauty is unripe childhood’s cheat， I leave it behind with the games of youth”. The poet overthrows his initially pessimistic thought that beauty could not last forever and is nothing but a “childhood’s cheat”. Then， in a somewhat reversal， he is disillusioned by his enchanting contexts—nature. Standing against the summer ground， with care-free breath， the poet’s alienation or solitude fades as he merges into the all： “beauty through my senses stole， I yield myself to the perfect whole”. In announcing so， Emerson demonstrates that the self-centeredness of the perceiving ego is the price of individualization. To conclude， the three stanzas are logically structured for one proceeds with an advance of perceptual promotion， which shows Emerson’s self-disciplined mindscape. 2.3 Reflection
A poem is the poet’s mindscape in microcosm. Emerson believes that God is sublime， the center of the universe and the origin of all the things. Man obtains his/er life from God and will be doomed once against God’s will. Emerson is an idealist， he seeks to lay significance on one’s spiritual side or the “oversoul”， by which he means the “the infinitude of man”.
3. Conclusion
Each and All was one of Emerson’s early poems. As the championship of the American Transcendentalism Movement， he is an idealist who lay emphasis on individual’s intuition and on spirit or the “oversoul” （Zuo Jinmei， 2006：89）as well as on symbolic nature which is the omnipresent and omnipotent God in disguise. What the poem delivers firstly is that there exists a super and more implicit relationship between man and nature other than the material interdependence—spirit. Second， it stresses interdependence of the animate parts that go to make up a world and man can achieve harmony with nature through spirit. Thirdly， the poet emphasizes on individual’s subjectivity via using the I—mood（Zuo Jinmei， 2006：289） to substantialize his argument rather than to release subjective lyricism.
References：
[1]劉云凤.Nothing is fair or good alone—Commentary on Each and All by Emerson.教育界·基础教育研究，2011.
[2]左金梅.美国文学（修订版）[M].中国海洋大学出版社.2006.8.
[3]左金梅.英美浪漫主義诗歌概论与欣赏[M].中国海洋大学出版社.2006.12.