John McNutty notes, "the warmth of friendship was almost a novel sensation" (McNutty) to the poet and "Friendship demonstrates this fact. The poem explores a healthy respect for good friends and the friendship that they bring. While the world's uncertainty "comes and goes" (Emerson 3), true friends remain. A long-lost friend returns to set the poet's "careful heart free again" (9). The poem closes with an interesting notion. We read:
Me too they nobleness has taught
To master my despair;
The fountains of my hidden life
Are through thy friendships fair. (17-20)
With these lines, we see the significance of friendship. This poem ends praising friendship, with the poet acknowledging that friends make the burdens of life lighter.
In conclusion, Emerson's poem, "Freindship" demonstrates the diversity of his writing style. While a noted transendentalist, Emerson displays that he is a poet capable of spiritual, and his poem, "Friendship," illustrates the depth of his understanding. From his experience, he shows us how friendship is essential, theraputic, and necessary for a fulfilling life. Clearly, the very best things in life are free.
Works Cited
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Friendship." Masterpieces of American Poets. New York: Garden City Publishing. 1932.
John C. Gerber, "Ralph Waldo Emerson: Overview." GALE Resource Database. http://www.infotrac.galegroup.com Site Accessed April 08, 2008.
Bruce a. Harvey. Ralph Waldo Emerson. GALE Resource Database. http://www.infotrac.galegroup.com Site Accessed April 08, 2008.
Richard a. Hutch, University of Queensland. GALE Resource Database. http://www.infotrac.galegroup.com Site Accessed April 08, 2008.
McNutty, John Bard. "Emerson's Friends and the Eassy of Friendship." JSTOR Resource Database. http://www.jstor.org/journals/uwisc.html Site Accessed April 08, 2008..
Robert D. Richardson. Ralph Waldo Emerson. GALE Resource Database. http://www.infotrac.galegroup.com Site Accessed April 08, 2008.
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