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the collected works of ralph waldo emerson letters and social aims
p letters and social aims published in 1875 contains essays originally published early in the 1840s as well as those that were the product of a collaborative effort among ralph waldo emerson his daughter ellen tucker emerson his son edward waldo emerson and his literary executor james eliot cabot . the volume takes up the topics of poetry and imagination social aims eloquence resources the comic quotation and originality progress of culture persian poetry inspiration greatness and appropriately for emerson s last published book immortality . the historical introduction demonstrates for the first time the decline in emerson s creative powers after 1865 ; the strain caused by the preparation of a poetry anthology and delivery of lectures at harvard during this time ; the devastating effect of a house fire in 1872 ; and how the emerson children and cabot worked together to enable emerson to complete the book . the textual introduction traces this collaborative process in detail and also provides new information about the genesis of the volume as a response to a proposed unauthorized british edition of emerson s works . historical introduction by ronald a. bosco p notes and parallel passages by glen m. johnson p text established and textual introduction and apparatus by joel myerson