Poem-A-Day: Teach me I am forgotten by the dead by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Teach me I am forgotten by the dead by Ralph Waldo Emerson   Teach me I am forgotten by the dead And that the dead is by herself forgot And I no longer would keep terms with me. I would not murder, steal, or fornicate, Nor with ambition break the peace of towns But I would bury my ambition The hope & action of my sovereign soul In miserable ruin. Nor a hope Should ever make a holiday for me I would not be the fool of accident I would not have a project seek an end That needed aught Beyond the handful of my present means The sun of Duty drop from his firmament To be a rushlight for each petty end I would not harm my fellow men On this low argument, 'twould harm myself.       Today's poem is in the public domain.     Poetry by Emerson     Emerson: Poems (Everyman's Library, 2004)           Poem-A-Day Launched in 2006, Poem-A-Day features new and previously unpublished poems by contemporary poets on weekdays and classic poems on weekends. Browse the Poem-A-Day archive.     May 25, 2013 Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston on May 25, 1803. A renowned lecturer, essayist, and poet, he is considered the leader of the Transcendentalist movement of 19th century philosophy and literature. He died in 1882. Related Poems Ladders by Elizabeth Alexander The Multitude by Ellen Hinsey Many Asked Me Not to Forget Them by Naomi Shihab Nye Thanks for being a part of the Academy of American Poets community. To learn about other programs, including National Poetry Month, Poem In Your Pocket Day, the annual Poets Forum, and more, visit Poets.org.

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