Interpretation of Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poem, “Each and All” is a work that correlates and examines the relationships between various animate, and inanimate objects that exist on different levels of life. In order to modify and emphasize his points and ideas Emerson uses a variety of techniques, both conventional and unconventional poetic devices. “Each and All” is a poem that organizes and puts into perspective all aspects of life, including his own, while creating a unifying …

…he makes the transitions from one idea to another the poem parallels this change by breaking the consistent rhythmic pattern with an inconsistent one. The incoherence of the rhythmic pattern occurs so unexpectedly the reader is forced to acknowledge the idea that is communicated in it. Emerson produces the feeling of progression and ascension in his poetry through the rhymed couplets, which symbolize his onward steps toward seeking the knowledge of God, the perfect whole.