Ralph Waldo ____ (7)
I believe the answer is:
emerson
(Other definitions for emerson that I've seen before include "he could write!" , "American poet and philosopher, d. 1882" , "Ralph Waldo ......., 19th century American transcendentalist" , "Ralph Waldo . . ., 19th century American philosopher and poet" , "Ralph Waldo --, US poet" .)