This chapter argues the first of three interrelated tenets in situating Emerson’s place as a reading theorist: reading as aesthetic experience. By tapping into aesthetic reading experiences and transactions, Emerson calls upon readers of all ability levels to delve into the sensory component of reading and to allow them the autonomy to roam such imaginative spaces. While Emerson indulges in reading as an act of playful curiosity, he often views it as an act of meaningful playfulness. Reading is an experiential event or a series of intentional moments in which focused play and exploration yield opportunities for meaning-making that also promote greater analyses of texts and, in turn, of readers themselves. Reading aesthetically similarly provides inroads into helping students embrace the performative aspect of and furthering their investment in reading.