"Education" -Ralph Waldo Emerson (CRR)

Throughout this week, our class has discussed the essay "Education" written by Ralph Waldo Emerson. We discussed the message behind writing his essay and the many rhetorical devices he used: metaphors, allusions, rhetorical questions, different sentence structure, and so much more. With the help of these devices, Emerson was able to really convey his message that children should learn at their own pace and people need to be patient with them if they expect anyone to learn the material. Time is a very important asset to the learning process. Trying to learn so many different types of literature, culture, and writing techniques can be very frustrating for someone to comprehend at first.

Emerson does a very nice job of explaining how people get frustrated while trying to learn new material. He uses an analogy to compare nature itself to the nature of education by using an example known as Genius and Drill. Emerson portrays the Genius to be the intelligence of an idea or thought, while the Drill is the action(s) put forth into the idea. Without both, the Genius and the Drill, one cannot commit and successfully work without the other by its side. For example, Emerson brings up the time he became acquainted with a young gentleman, Sir Charles Fellowes, who was struck in awe at the beauty of a sculpture. Sir Charles Fellowes wanted to learn more about the sculpture and decided to educate himself. This refers back to Genius and Drill because Charles thought about doing something and actually went out and executed it. Another example of Genius and Drill is when Emerson says, "Alas for the cripple  Practice when it seeks to come up with the bird Theory, which flies before it." The cripple Practice is the genius, the process it took to create the bird Theory, and being said, the bird Theory is the drill. Without trying and attempting to do something, how can one hope to get something done?

I believe that Emerson did an excellent job of explaining how difficult and challenging it is for someone to try and learn so many different types of material. Without patience from others, one may feel stressed and pressured and way out of their comfort zone that they push away the education being taught and focus on trying to keep up with everyone else. Emerson's message and purpose for writing his essay is to show that people need to give others more time and to wait for them to catch up to where they need to be. If teachers are more focused on just getting through the material needed to be taught in a classroom, are the students actually learning the material or are the teachers just trying to keep their jobs? Is teaching education more important than learning the education?

Also, when Emerson mentioned that nature is patient while some people aren't really got me thinking about how nature is very excepting of those who need more time to understand certain things. If nature can wait why can't we? This made me realize how, in some situations, actually learning new things isn't as important as it should be. With this being said, Emerson has a very valid point with our educational system and how it works. If people want to learn something, others should be patient and give them a gentle push so they don't get too far behind or on the wrong track. Now, when something new or challenging comes in my way, I will think back to the Genius and Drill process and put it to my advantage; I'll think more about what I want to do and how I will execute it. If you want something done, do it yourself, but at your own pace. That's what Emerson wants- for children to actually learn.