III - Essays II

Essays, Second Series, was originally published in 1844, three years after Essays, First Series. The major event in Emerson’s life during this period was the death of his son,Waldo, Jr., aged five, who died quite suddenly in 1842 from scarlet fever. The essay "Experience" reflects this tragic event and is thought by many to signal a turning point in Emerson’s vision. But the rest of the volume continues the major themes begun earlier.