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The Celestial Love

From Poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) was an American essayist, lecturer and poet, and a central figure in the Transcendentalist movement. This poem, from his collected Poems, presents a vision of love purified of selfishness and raised to a cosmic, almost mystical plane. Emerson draws on Neoplatonic philosophy, in which earthly things are imperfect reflections of higher archetypes, and on his own belief in the unity of all being. The poem is worth reading because it challenges the reader to think about love not as preference or possession, but as fidelity to what is highest in oneself and as a force that serves all humanity. First published in the mid-nineteenth century. This text reflects its era.

Band

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

Length

long · about 1063 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 (10 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Teacher’s Edition (members)

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