Transcendentalist Philosophy
Most cogently expressed in the poem “Each and All” but recurring as a theme throughout much of Emerson’s verse is a poetic explication of Transcendentalist philosophy’s fundamental tenet of universal interconnectedness. The idea which is given direct voice in the abovementioned work—“All are needed by each one; / Nothing is fair or good alone” is referenced thematically in more oblique manner throughout his body of work in poem like “The Rhodora” and “Blight.”
Abolitionism
Emerson was a staunch opponent of slavery, but withdrew from activism until he was asked by the titular figure compose “Ode to W.H. Channing” in which he called upon those staying silent to make their voices known. “Boston Hymn” is a celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation. “Voluntaries” was written to commemorate the deaths of several members of the Union army’s all-black Massachusetts 54th regiment and their commander, Col. Robert Gould Shaw; also the subject of the Oscar-winning film Glory.
The Natural World
Another tenant of Transcendentalism is the close observance and appreciation of nature and how it fits into the concept of all things interconnected. Some of Emerson’s most famous poems explore this theme, such as “The Snow-Storm” in which the farmhouse residents inside turn their back to the glory of the natural weather miracle outside to face the blaze they ignited in the fireplace. Other representative poems exploring this theme include “Woodnotes,” “Ode to Beauty,” and “The House.”
Spiritualism
Emerson was by no means a religious poet in the traditional sense of the conventional New England Puritan sense of the word, but his body of poetic work is not free from spiritual themes and invocations. He showed a knowledgeable and passionate awareness of Eastern philosophies in poems such as “Hamatreya” and “Brahma.” His fascination with religious iconography stretches from the titular archangel in “Uriel” to an exploration of Pantheism in “Monadnoc.”
