'Each philosopher, each bard, each actor has only done for me, as a delegate, what one day I can do for myself

         The theme in Ralph Waldo Emerson's "The American Scholar"  is that real scholars or "men thinking" should take literary works as only an inspiration or a starting off point for their own endeavors in life. By imitating, we lose our individuality and independence. The line 'Each philosopher, each bard, each actor has only done for me, as a delegate, what one day I can do for myself' is saying that rather than living by what you read, you should think critically and take away your own conclusions that are relatable to you. To become a man thinking, one must read for inspiration and interpret the reading in order to create for themselves.
       Dwelling on the past prevents men from discovering their potential to create and come up with new, fresh points of view. Creating new ideas and spreading the word will inspire other people to do the same. We should explore nature to learn about who we are and what we need to accomplish in the future, rather than be influenced by what Shakespeare has to say. Novels have a hold on the reader, almost like a cage. It difficult to escape the past and move forward when you live by the books and not for yourself. To be a true "man thinking", we must keep novels at arms length. Novels are great sources of knowledge and ideas, but to not abuse a novel, the reader must interpret it in their own way and then show others the way they interpreted it. Emerson also said, "Books are for the scholar's idle times." Books are the background in learning and creating, but the future depends on how we apply what we come away with. By applying knowledge we have learned, we can come up with new actions and ideas that will create more knowledge in the world.