Abstract
To all lovers of good literature, the decline in poetic genius is a matter of keen regret. Yet, the need for high standards remains emphatic. In the forgotten writings of that great American essayist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, perhaps may he found the most efficacious panacea for the prevalent decadence of the poetic art and craft as well as for their enjoyment by the discriminating lovers of poetry. Exalted though the idea of his universal "Poet" may he, the genuine inspiration and inherent idealism which Emerson offers are significant in their potential influence. |It is, accordingly, the purpose of this study to show how the basic elements of Platonism prevail in the nature, functions, and method of Emerson’s ideal "Poet" and permanently exalt his literary standards.