Language and style

The language and style of “A Nation’s Strength” by Ralph Waldo Emerson are very important, as they can tell you a lot about the poet and his beliefs, but also because they can strengten your understanding of the text.

Playing with the language

Ralph Waldo Emerson plays with language in his poem, as he never reveals which nations he describes. First of all, the poet never reveals that he talks about the United States of America in the poem and that he encourages his fellow citizens to find the necessary bravery and strength to make their nation great. At the same time, he never reveals which are the “kingdoms grand” (l. 6), the “empires passed away” (l. 1) or “that bright crown” (l. 16). Still, history has many examples of nations which have failed because of pride, wars or search for riches, so the poet can refer to either one of them.

Tense of the verbs

The poem “A Nation’s Strength” is written in a combination of present and past tenses. For instance, the poem begins with verbs in the present simple [“makes” (l. 1, l. 3)] especially to indicate permanence and someth...