The poem Compensation" was written by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet who was a leading figure of the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. The Transcendentalists believed that there was an inherent goodness in all people and that humans could connect with this goodness through nature and intuition. Emerson's poem "Compensation" reflects these beliefs by positing that everyone has their own unique gifts and talents, and that these gifts will be compensated for in other areas of life. For example, a person who is blind may have heightened senses of hearing or touch. Emerson believed that each person's individual talents and gifts would be "compensated" for in other areas, creating a balance in life."