Emerson's "The Poet" and Poe's "The Philosophy of Composition"
             Ralph Waldo Emerson was the most potent forces in New England thought. His transcendental writings attracted wide attention, and he retained his popularity as a lecturer. One of his great works included "The Poet", an essay he had written in his attempts to define his image of the perfect poet. His extended definition of a poet, gave many people more insight on the idea of a poet as well as poetry.
             He says that all men express their feelings, but what makes a poet is that he has more ability to express his own words. A poet would be able to express the beauty of nature well, while men who are less expressive cannot give nature the worth it should be given, related to reality of course. Emerson explains that nature is things that we all are able to experience but aren't necessary able to identify with our vocabulary. A poet is able to announce to the reader the descriptions of the sun, stars, moon and water, and how these substances cause reactions with us. The poet uses his thoughts and formulates his ideas into words. The reader is then able to agree or disagree with his viewpoint.
             Emerson begins the essay by explaining that many people are taught "rules and facts " to decided what is good art, and therefore think of themselves as worthy critics although they have no feeling for art in their soul. He says that scholar men, theologians, and modern 'poets' do not acknowledge a relationship between the physical world and the mind and then praises the "highest minds" and an example of this would be plato, who instead examine everything to its fullest manifold meaning.
             Emerson explains that his ideal poet helps to represent, and explain, the world to men. Emerson expresses that men take nature, and therefore "God," for granted in the lines "too feeble fall the impressions of nature on us to make us artists. A poet uses his ...