Ralph Waldo Emerson: from "Self-Reliance," "Nature" - Aphorisms

Question 1

tips for success

Answer 1

• aphorisms sound a lot like advice; they are words you can live by
• to test whether or not a saying is an aphorism, you should be able to summarize some sort of “life lesson” from the expression

Question 2

which sentence best states the meaning of the underlined aphorism from Paragraph 3 of Emerson’s “Self-Reliance”?

Answer 2

be content with your station in life – who your associates are and the things that happen to you

Question 3

which sentence best states the meaning of the underlined aphorism from Paragraph 2 of Emerson’s “Self-Reliance”?

Answer 3

a man will be happy and at peace only if he has put his heart into his work and done his best

Question 4

which sentence best states the meaning of the underlined aphorism from Paragraph 1 of Emerson’s “Self-Reliance”?

Answer 4

• though good things surround him, man can only benefit by improving what he has been given
• i am not alone when I do something… from myself - only when I do something outside of myself

Question 5

which of the following is not an aphorism

Answer 5

• not for nothing one face,… character, …fact, makes much impression on him, another none. SR-1
• the name of the nearest friend sounds then foreign and accidental N-7
• every decent and well-spoken individual affects and sways me more than is right. SR-7
• i am not alone and unacknowledged N-8

Question 6

which sentence best states the meaning of the underlined aphorism from Paragraph 5 of Emerson’s “Nature”?

Answer 6

each hour and season brings a different delight and provokes a different state of mind