Ralph Waldo Emerson

American essayist, philosopher, and poet who led the Transcendentalist movement; his 1836 essay Nature articulated a philosophy of self-reliance and correspondence between humanity and the natural world. His 'Concord Hymn' (1837) memorialised the opening shots of the American Revolution, coining the phrase 'shot heard round the world'.

• Nationality: American
• Roles: philosopher, poet, writer