Acrostic Quotes
Fox-Trot-9

7. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Imitation never leads to innovation, originality or revolution.
Never follow the safely trodden steps of other men but
Secure your own path through the lonely wood,
Insisting on the merits of your own ideas of better change.
Sever the ties that bind you to the old-fashioned
Tried and true for something newer, better, bolder. 

Originality or innovation, however, does not come from
Nothing; necessity, the mother of invention and innovation, drives it. 

Yearn to take those old and tired ideas and turn them
On their heads: change them, tweak them, mold them,
Until you come up with a far better, far greater,
Result. Good ideas are the ones that endure the
Slings and arrows of change, but great ideas are great
Enough to cause that change and change the minds of many men,
Lifting from their eyes the veil of ignorance, that they might
Follow in the footsteps of the path that you created. But do

Not think that such a task is easy. It never is.
Enter into the world of public opinion, a world of ideas as
Varied and changing as a pundit's changing stance, and you can
Expect to meet the opposition's many attacks.
Resist these men; do not do as they want you to do. 

I myself speak from personal experience:
Many of my essays have been slandered, attacked, reviled, but still
I stood my ground, insisting on the ideas that I hold dear,
Trying to transcend the mud-slinging ritual of public opinion.
And speaking from the heart, I dare say that I admire
The courage of your actions in expressing your ideas,
Even when you got jailed for those actions. Stay strong, brother. 

Insist on yourself; never imitate.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

(To be continued...)

A/N: Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the greatest opinionated writers of his time. He inspired another great writer, Henry David Thoreau, to go one step further; that is, he moved to Walden Pond and evaded paying taxes to protest the Mexican-American War and slavery. I like to think that Emerson tired to encourage his friend during this time.

Meter: Free verse
Rhyme Scheme: None