Who wrote the essay 'American Scholar'?

Who wrote the essay 'American Scholar'?

• A. Emerson
• B. Thoreau
• C. Whitman
• D. Ellison

Answer: (A)

A key idea being tested is who authored the influential essay The American Scholar. Ralph Waldo Emerson gave this address in 1837 at Harvard, and it’s remembered as a foundational statement about the role of the thinker in American life. In the piece, Emerson argues that a true scholar should think for themselves, draw on nature, engage with books, and turn knowledge into action rather than simply repeat what authorities have said. This stance helped shape the spirit of the American Renaissance, emphasizing independence of mind and practical wisdom. The other writers listed are associated with different works and ideas: Thoreau is known for Walden and Civil Disobedience; Whitman for Leaves of Grass; Ellison for Invisible Man. None of them wrote this particular essay.

A key idea being tested is who authored the influential essay The American Scholar. Ralph Waldo Emerson gave this address in 1837 at Harvard, and it’s remembered as a foundational statement about the role of the thinker in American life. In the piece, Emerson argues that a true scholar should think for themselves, draw on nature, engage with books, and turn knowledge into action rather than simply repeat what authorities have said. This stance helped shape the spirit of the American Renaissance, emphasizing independence of mind and practical wisdom.

The other writers listed are associated with different works and ideas: Thoreau is known for Walden and Civil Disobedience; Whitman for Leaves of Grass; Ellison for Invisible Man. None of them wrote this particular essay.