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The Problem

A poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) was an American essayist, lecturer and poet, and a leading figure of the Transcendentalist movement. 'The Problem' was first published in 1840. The poem addresses a question that preoccupied Emerson throughout his career: the tension between reverence for religious tradition and the conviction that divine truth is accessible directly, without institutional mediation. A few period terms have been modernised. This text is worth the reader's time because it articulates, in compressed and memorable form, a vision of the artist and prophet as conduits of a power greater than themselves — a vision that challenges both orthodox theology and Romantic individualism, and invites the reader to consider where authority in matters of truth and beauty finally rests.

Band

Silver · First-year university levelTypical starting range: adult

Length

long · about 1382 words in 5 sections · 1 picture

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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