Atlantic Monthly Essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson on One of His Greatest Artistic and Moral Influences, the Persian Poet Saadi, 1864

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Periodical

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Saadi.” July 1864. Published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1864, this essay reflects Emerson’s long engagement with Persian literature and the moral philosophy of Saadi of Shiraz. Written during the Civil War, the essay situates Persian ethical reflection within Emerson’s broader transcendentalist inquiry, asserting cross-cultural continuities in moral and intellectual life. Emerson observes that under “new costume, new religion, new manners and customs… humanity nestles very comfortably,” emphasizing universality across cultural boundaries. His portrayal of Saadi as marked by “a uniform force” and “a tone of cheerfulness” reveals Emerson’s sustained interest in integrating Eastern ethical insight with New England transcendentalism.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Saadi.” The Atlantic Monthly, July 1864. Five unbound printed pages measuring approximately 6 x 9 inches, removed from the journal. Light toning consistent with age; small, evenly spaced separations along left margin from disbinding; print strong and legible. Overall condition very good. The essay stands as a testament to Emerson’s decades-long study of Persian sources and contributes to the nineteenth-century American reception of Islamic and classical Persian thought within broader literary and philosophical discourse.

Item #16246

Price: $2,500.00