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The Problem

From Poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) was an American essayist, poet and leader of the Transcendentalist movement, which emphasised individual intuition, the divinity present in nature, and the soul's direct access to truth. 'The Problem' was first published in 1840. In it Emerson meditates on a tension he felt throughout his life: a deep admiration for religious tradition, art and architecture, paired with an equally deep conviction that he must stand outside institutional religion. This poem is worth your time because it models how a serious thinker holds two things in tension without collapsing into either rejection or conformity, and because it asks a question about vocation and calling that remains alive for anyone deciding what role—if any—inherited institutions should play in their own life. This text reflects its era.

Band

Red · Complex language and analysisTypical starting range: ages 15–17

Length

long · about 1192 words in 5 sections · 2 pictures

Source

Poems, Ralph Waldo Emerson

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (11 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Teacher’s Edition (members)

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