In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty.

Essays: First Series (1841) - Self-Reliance

See also A man should learn to detect...

It's worth mentioning that Edward Hopper (1882-1967) quoted this and praised the work (Self-Reliance) for its incomparable clarity. As reported in: Edward Hopper: An Intimate Biography (1995), p. 216