“It was for beauty that the world was made.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Beauty (Primary source)
In Beauty, Emerson explores how beauty in nature and art reflects a deeper spiritual truth and moral order. He argues that true beauty is not just aesthetic pleasure but a manifestation of the divine, elevating the soul and inspiring virtue.
“The true test of civilization is, not the census, nor the size of cities, nor the crops—no, but the kind of man the country turns out.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary source“The years teach much which the days never know.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary source“In skating over thin ice, our safety is in our speed.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary source“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary sourceMore quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson →
“What is the hardest task in the world? To think.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary source“Necessity never made a good bargain.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary source“Commit a crime, and the earth is made of glass.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary source“Beauty is the quality which makes to endure.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary source