'The Problem' by Ralph Waldo Emerson

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I like a church, I like a cowl,
I love a prophet of the soul,And on my heart monastic aisles
Fall like sweet strains or pensive smiles;
Yet not for all his faith can see,
Would I that cowled churchman be.
Why should the vest on him allure,
Which I could not on me endure?Not from a vain or shallow thought
His awful Jove young Phidias brought;
Never from lips of cunning fell
The thrilling Delphic oracle;
Out from the heart of nature rolled
The burdens of the Bible old;
The litanies of nations came,
Like the volcano's tongue of flame,
Up from the burning core below,
The canticles of love and woe.
The hand that rounded Peter's dome,
And groined the aisles of Christian Rome,
Wrought in a sad sincerity,
Himself from God he could not free;
He builded better than he knew,
The conscious stone to beauty grew.Know'st thou what wove yon woodbird's nest
Of leaves and feathers from her breast;
Or how the fish outbuilt its shell,
Painting with morn each annual cell;
Or how the sacred pine tree adds
To her old leaves new myriads?
Such and so grew these holy piles,
Whilst love and terror laid the tiles.
Earth proudly wears the Parthenon
As the best gem upon her zone;
And Morning opes with haste her lids
To gaze upon the Pyramids;
O'er England's abbeys bends the sky
As on its friends with kindred eye;
For out of Thought's interior sphere
These wonders rose to upper air,
And nature gladly gave them place,
Adopted them into her race,
And granted them an equal date
With Andes and with Ararat.These temples grew as grows the grass,
Art might obey but not surpass.
The passive Master lent his hand
To the vast soul that o'er him planned,
And the same power that reared the shrine,
Bestrode the tribes that knelt within.
Even the fiery Pentecost
Girds with one flame the Countless host,
Trances the heart through chanting quires,
And through the priest the mind inspires.The word unto the prophet spoken
Was writ on tables yet unbroken;
The word by seers or sibyls told
In groves of oak, or fanes of gold,
Still floats upon the morning wind,
Still whispers to the willing mind.
One accent of the Holy Ghost
The heedless world hath never lost.I know what say the Fathers wise,
The Book itself before me lies,
Old Chrysostom, best Augustine,
And he who blent both in his line,
The younger Golden-lips or mines,
Taylor, the Shakspeare of divines,
His words are music in my ear,
I see his cowled portrait dear,
And yet for all his faith could see,
I would not the good bishop be.

Editor 1 Interpretation

The Problem by Ralph Waldo Emerson: A Critical Interpretation

Introduction

The Problem is a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the most significant figures of the American Transcendentalist movement. This poem is a reflection of the philosophical and spiritual ideas that Emerson frequently explored in his works. The Problem, in particular, deals with the question of human existence and the meaning of life.

Analysis

The poem is divided into three stanzas, each consisting of four lines. The rhyme scheme is AABB. The first stanza introduces the central theme of the poem:

I like a church; I like a cowl;
I love a prophet of the soul;
And on my heart monastic aisles
Fall like sweet strains, or pensive smiles;

Here, the speaker expresses his fondness for the church, the cowl, and the prophet of the soul. These are symbols of spiritual and religious devotion. The speaker finds solace and peace in the monastic aisles, which fill his heart with “sweet strains” and “pensive smiles.”

The second stanza, however, introduces a note of discord:

Yet not for all his faith can see
Would I that cowled churchman be.
Why should the vest on him allure,
Which I could not on me endure?

Here, the speaker distances himself from the churchman and the cowl. He does not wish to be like them, despite his admiration for them. He questions the allure of the vestments and the religious trappings that the churchman wears. The speaker seems to suggest that there is something lacking in the churchman’s faith, which he himself does not want to emulate.

The third and final stanza brings the poem to a close:

Not from a vain or shallow thought
His awful Jove young Phidias brought;
Never from lips of cunning fell
The thrilling Delphic oracle.

Here, the speaker suggests that true spiritual insight and inspiration cannot come from superficial or deceitful sources. The example of Phidias, the ancient Greek sculptor who created a statue of the god Zeus, is cited as an example of genuine inspiration. The Delphic oracle, which was believed to impart divine knowledge, is also mentioned as an example of true inspiration.

Interpretation

The Problem is a poem that deals with the tension between spiritual yearning and the limitations of human understanding. The speaker expresses his love for the symbols of religious devotion, but at the same time, he questions their significance. He seems to suggest that there is a deeper spiritual truth that cannot be fully captured by the trappings of religion and the limitations of human language.

The poem can be seen as a reflection of Emerson’s broader philosophical and spiritual concerns. Emerson was a proponent of Transcendentalism, a movement that emphasized the importance of individual experience and intuition in the search for truth. Transcendentalists believed that there was a mystical, spiritual dimension to reality that could be accessed through intuition and personal experience.

The tension between spiritual yearning and human limitations is a recurring theme in Emerson’s works. In his essay, The Oversoul, for example, he writes:

We live in succession, in division, in parts, in particles. Meantime within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related, the eternal ONE.

Here, Emerson suggests that there is a universal soul that connects all things, but that this soul is beyond the limitations of human understanding.

In The Problem, the speaker expresses a similar sentiment. He finds solace and peace in the symbols of religious devotion, but he recognizes their limitations. He suggests that true spiritual insight and inspiration cannot come from superficial or deceitful sources.

Yet the poem also suggests that there is a way to access this deeper spiritual truth. The example of Phidias and the Delphic oracle implies that there is a genuine source of spiritual inspiration that is not limited by human language or understanding. The poem, then, can be seen as a call to seek out this deeper spiritual truth, even as we recognize the limitations of our own understanding.

Conclusion

The Problem is a poem that reflects Emerson’s broader philosophical and spiritual concerns. The tension between spiritual yearning and human limitations is a recurring theme in his works. In this poem, the speaker expresses his love for the symbols of religious devotion, but he questions their significance. He recognizes the limitations of human understanding, but he suggests that there is a deeper spiritual truth that can be accessed through genuine inspiration. Ultimately, the poem can be seen as a call to seek out this deeper spiritual truth, even as we recognize our own limitations.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry has always been a medium for expressing the deepest emotions and thoughts of the human mind. It is a form of art that has the power to move people, inspire them, and make them think. One such poem that has stood the test of time is "The Problem" by Ralph Waldo Emerson. This classic piece of literature is a thought-provoking and insightful work that delves into the complexities of human existence.

The poem begins with the lines, "I like a church; I like a cowl; / I love a prophet of the soul." These lines set the tone for the rest of the poem, as they express Emerson's admiration for the spiritual and the divine. He is drawn to the idea of a church, which represents a place of worship and a connection to a higher power. The cowl, which is a hood worn by monks and nuns, represents a life of devotion and selflessness. And the prophet of the soul represents someone who is in tune with their innermost thoughts and feelings.

Emerson then goes on to say, "I like the steam; I like the rocks; / I love the not impossible." These lines are a contrast to the previous ones, as they express Emerson's appreciation for the physical world. He is drawn to the power of steam, which represents the technological advancements of his time. The rocks represent the natural world, which Emerson also finds beauty in. And the not impossible represents the idea of achieving the seemingly impossible, which is a theme that runs throughout the poem.

The next stanza of the poem is where Emerson begins to delve into the complexities of human existence. He says, "I love to see that Nature is so rife / In means and chances of life." Here, Emerson is expressing his awe at the abundance of life in the natural world. He is amazed at the diversity of species and the intricate web of life that exists on our planet.

However, Emerson then goes on to say, "And when I think that, men are cowards who / Yield to the right, / Who make me feel / The lie is stronger than the truth." This is where the poem takes a darker turn, as Emerson expresses his disappointment in humanity. He is frustrated with the fact that people often choose to do what is easy or convenient, rather than what is right. He believes that this is a cowardly act, and that it undermines the truth.

Emerson then poses the question, "For the right, / And for the good, / Is there no bright reversion in the sky?" Here, he is asking whether there is any hope for humanity. Is there a reward for doing what is right and good, or are we simply doomed to suffer the consequences of our actions?

The final stanza of the poem is where Emerson offers his solution to the problem. He says, "Alas, / The sprite that haunts my desk / Declaims this matter over, / Twice or thrice over, / Within this hour." The sprite that Emerson refers to is his own inner voice, which is constantly reminding him of the problem at hand. However, Emerson then says, "Nor can I break / From the mould wherein this creature / Of my thought / Has cast her by long years."

Here, Emerson is acknowledging that the problem is deeply ingrained in his own thinking. He cannot simply break free from it, as it has been a part of him for so long. However, he then says, "But we must be / Brave in the face of despair, / And hold on to the hope / That the truth will prevail."

This is where Emerson offers his solution to the problem. He believes that we must be brave in the face of despair, and hold on to the hope that the truth will prevail. We must continue to do what is right and good, even when it is difficult or unpopular. And we must have faith that there is a bright reversion in the sky, a reward for doing what is right and good.

In conclusion, "The Problem" by Ralph Waldo Emerson is a timeless piece of literature that delves into the complexities of human existence. It is a thought-provoking and insightful work that offers a solution to the problem at hand. Emerson believes that we must be brave in the face of despair, and hold on to the hope that the truth will prevail. We must continue to do what is right and good, even when it is difficult or unpopular. And we must have faith that there is a bright reversion in the sky, a reward for doing what is right and good. This is a message that is as relevant today as it was when Emerson first wrote it, and it is one that we would do well to remember.

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