1. Why reading them is hard
Emerson and Thoreau
Why reading them is hard

2. Characteristics Sophisticated Vocabulary
Figurative Language (often extended)
“…that though the universe is good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till.”

3. Characteristics 3. Inverted Sentence Order Typical:
The monkey chased the weasel.
S V O
Emerson:
“With consistency a great soul has nothing to do.”
O S V

4. Characteristics 4. (Multiple) Explanatory Endings
“Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events.”

5. Characteristics 5. Interrupters
“Society is a joint stock company in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater.”

6. Characteristics 6. Negations (specifically the “not un-” construction)
“This sculpture in the memory is not without preestablished harmony.”