Free Lesson of the Month
May, 2011
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This month's free lesson comes from the Essential Essays of Emerson and Thoreau Activity Pack and
includes a Metaphor activity for Emerson’s essay, “Self Reliance.”
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Teacher’s Page Transcendentalism
Self-Reliance
Metaphor
Objective: Recognizing the use of metaphor
Activity
Like many authors, Emerson uses literary devices to emphasize a point. In his essays, Emerson stresses
the value of his subject with the help of such things as metaphors, although they may be masked by fancy
wording.
In “Self-Reliance,” Emerson employs metaphor extensively, and the following exercise will help you
recognize this literary device. We will start the exercise for you by stating a metaphor and explaining its
meaning. Find as many more as you can, and explain the meaning of each. There are many, so list at least
five.
METAPHOR AND MEANING CHART
Metaphor
Meaning
"envy is ignorance…"
Jealousy shows a lack of intelligence.
"…imitation and suicide…"
To copy anyone's actions means the death of one's own individuality.
"Thy love afar is spite at home."
With reference to bigotry. Emerson is scolding someone who boasts
of visiting a land of black men, but not supporting abolition in his
home country.
"Traveling is a fool's paradise…"
Visiting foreign places doesn't change one, nor does it change reality.
"The intellect is vagabond…Our minds travel, when our
bodies are forced to stay at home."
Our minds seek to recreate foreign beauty and ideals, when that
which is sought can be found at home.
"Society is a wave. The wave moves onward, but the water
of which it is composed does not."
Society goes on, but what makes it a whole doesn't move.
© Copyright 2008, Prestwick House, Inc.
T - 22
Student’s Page­
Name: ________________________________
Transcendentalism
Date:_________________
Self-Reliance
Metaphor
Objective: Recognizing the use of metaphor
Activity
Like many authors, Emerson uses literary devices to emphasize a point. In his essays, Emerson stresses
the value of his subject with the help of such things as metaphors, although they may be masked by fancy
wording.
In “Self-Reliance,” Emerson employs metaphor extensively, and the following exercise will help you
recognize this literary device. We will start the exercise for you by stating a metaphor and explaining its
meaning. Find as many more as you can, and explain the meaning of each. There are many, so list at least
five.
METAPHOR AND MEANING CHART
Metaphor
"envy is ignorance…"
Meaning
Jealousy shows a lack of intelligence.
S - 23
Reproducible Student Worksheet