close
test_template

Analysis of Emerson’s "Nature"

download print

About this sample

About this sample

close

Words: 853 |

Pages: 2|

5 min read

Published: Jul 27, 2018

book icon Read Summary

Words: 853|Pages: 2|5 min read

Published: Jul 27, 2018

Analysis of Emerson’s “Nature”
book icon Read Summary
Summary
close

This essay explores Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Nature," which emphasizes his unconventional appreciation for the natural world and its spiritual significance. Emerson begins by highlighting the omnipresence of nature and how it garners respect from observers. He suggests that not everyone can truly appreciate nature, emphasizing the need to approach it with childlike wonder and awe.

Emerson personifies nature, attributing human emotions and actions to it, highlighting its sublime and indescribably beautiful aspects. He discusses the interconnectedness of the universe and how poets, like himself, can perceive nature more deeply and plainly.

The essay delves into Emerson's belief in the Universal Spirit, which he identifies with God, and the idea that every object in nature is linked through an animating life force. He asserts that humans give nature the human characteristics they perceive.

Emerson also explores the therapeutic and restorative powers of nature, which can alleviate stress and anxiety. He emphasizes the importance of experiencing nature in a passive, immersive way rather than seeking to manipulate it.

Furthermore, Emerson discusses the relationship between nature and language, suggesting that nature serves as the interpreter between people and provides the language for communication. He asserts that each individual shares a universal soul, connecting them to one another.

In his essay “Nature,” Ralph Waldo Emerson exhibits an untraditional appreciation for the world around him. Concerned initially with the stars and the world around us, the grandeur of nature, Emerson then turns his attention onto how we perceive objects. “Nature” seeks to show humanity a new form of enlightening the human spirit and urges the formation of a strong link between man and the Universal Spirit. Emerson sees nature as an inspiration for people to grasp a deeper understanding of the spiritual world.

'Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned'?

Emerson begins his essay by observing the omnipresence of nature, which garners respect from the observer. However, nature always seems distant, indifferent. Emerson then puts forth the idea that not everyone can observe nature, that one must have the capacity to appreciate, to feel awe and wonder, like a child would who does not try to understand but only appreciate. He personifies nature as a woman by giving it human emotions and actions, such as “Nature never wears a mean appearance”, and also that the “wisest man could never loser curiosity by finding out all her perfection.” The experience with nature that Emerson describes is truly sublime, magical and yet indescribably beautiful.

Using stars as symbols of the universe, Emerson states that we take stars for granted because they are always present in our lives, no matter where we live. He then moves on from commenting on the faraway stars and begins to discuss the immediate landscape around him. He creates a bond between the stars and the landscape, furthering the theme of a chain linking everything in the universe. Emerson then makes a claim that the person who is most likely to see the whole of nature is the poet, distinguishing the poet from other people. He says that poets can see nature plainly, not superficially as many people do. Instead of using theories of the past that Emerson says need to be discarded, the person who yearns to see must reveal their inner child, accepting nature as it is rather than attempting to manipulate it into something it is not.

Emerson’s referral to the Universal Being, which he identifies with God, is what is now identified as transcendentalism. Every object in nature requires an animating life force, through which, Emerson believes that they are linked. Emerson claims that he is nothing, but he sees all. He concludes his chapter on nature by stating that Nature does not have a personality that it alone devises. Humans, he says, give nature the human characteristics we perceive it to have.

In the following sections, Emerson relates the idea of nature as an instructor to man and how man can and should learn from nature. Nature is a divine creation of God and through it men can learn to be closer to Him. He refers to nature’s beauty as the qualities of nature that have medicinal and restorative powers for humans. The special beauty of nature has a strong ability to relieve the stress and anxiety that many humans suffer from. Emerson points out that a person who passively loses himself in the landscape will be rewarded by nature’s regenerative powers, whereas a person who consciously seeks out such healing will be tricked by nature’s illusions.

‘A true man,’ ‘belongs to no other time or place, but is the center of all things. Where he is, there is nature’. Emerson’s visit to the Jardin des Plantes in Paris was the main inspiration behind his philosophy. The beauty of the different plants gave him an idea that nature and everything in it are universally connected. While fixated on the beauty of nature, Emerson was able to become one with the wildlife, land, water, etc. This led him to conclude that all things in nature are correlated because God exists in everything. His entire ideology is centered on finding your sense of truth through intuition in being a non-conformist. Appreciating the individualism of the plants allowed Emerson to finally realize that he had been conforming to other’s beliefs. This realization assisted in finding freedom within himself. Embracing our individual nature permits us to divert from consistency and implement self-reliance.

In Emerson’s section on the relationship between nature and language, he draws the comparison between words and the objects they represent in nature, and that these objects signify spiritual realities, and nature symbolizes spirituality. He illustrates nature as the interpreter between people, supplying the language that people use to communicate with. For example, he says that all people recognize that light and dark figuratively express knowledge and ignorance. The theme of universal understanding is emphasized further when he claims that each individual shares a universal soul linking that person to all others. Emerson claims that the relationship between the mind and matter is not fancied by some poets, but stands in the will of God, and so is free to be known by all men. The world will become an “open book” from which all can read.

Emerson then goes on to tackle the difficult question of subjective truth and the impossibility of verifying the truth of external reality. The average person doesn’t want to know what he thinks is real might be an illusion. However, whether or not nature exists as something distinct remains definitively unanswerable.

Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.

After analyzing “Nature,” one can see that Ralph Waldo Emerson has a distinct, undeniable love for nature and the sublime. He believes that all enlightenment of the human nature, that all knowledge, that the relationship between God and humans, transcends through nature. Also, all ills and evils in the world may be traceable to this lapsing away from close attention to spiritual truths that comes from nature. Emerson theorizes that each person is a microcosm, a small universe corresponding to the macrocosm of the natural world. His greatest complaint is that we gain a limited knowledge of nature because we too readily mistake understanding for reason. Nature is the inspiration through which humanity begins to understand, not reason with, the natural world.

Works Cited

  1. Emerson, R. W. (1836). Nature. The Atlantic Monthly, 1(1), 1-12.
  2. Gura, P. F. (2017). American transcendentalism: A history. Hill and Wang.
  3. Hankins, B. (2004). The American soul: Rediscovering the wisdom of the founders. Regnery Publishing.
  4. Martin, R. L. (1993). The gambler's search for a self: Ralph Waldo Emerson's philosophy of creativity. The Journal of Speculative Philosophy, 7(2), 105-118.
  5. Packer, B. (2015). The varieties of transcendence: Pragmatism and the theory of religion. Harvard University Press.
  6. Porte, J. (1997). Emerson and Thoreau: Transcendentalists in conflict. University of Georgia Press.
  7. Richardson, R. D. (1995). Emerson: The mind on fire: A biography. University of California Press.
  8. Robinson, D. M. (2015). The spiritual Emerson: Essential works by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Beacon Press.
  9. Schneewind, J. B. (1998). The invention of autonomy. Cambridge University Press.
  10. Urbanski, M. (2002). Nature and the poetry of Wallace Stevens. University Press of Florida.
Image of Dr. Charlotte Jacobson
This essay was reviewed by
Dr. Charlotte Jacobson

Cite this Essay

Analysis of Emerson’s “Nature”. (2021, November 13). GradesFixer. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/analysis-of-emersons-nature/
“Analysis of Emerson’s “Nature”.” GradesFixer, 13 Nov. 2021, gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/analysis-of-emersons-nature/
Analysis of Emerson’s “Nature”. [online]. Available at: <https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/analysis-of-emersons-nature/> [Accessed 29 Mar. 2024].
Analysis of Emerson’s “Nature” [Internet]. GradesFixer. 2021 Nov 13 [cited 2024 Mar 29]. Available from: https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/analysis-of-emersons-nature/
copy
Keep in mind: This sample was shared by another student.
  • 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
  • Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours
Write my essay

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

close

Where do you want us to send this sample?

    By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

    close

    Be careful. This essay is not unique

    This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

    Download this Sample

    Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

    close

    Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

    close

    Thanks!

    Please check your inbox.

    We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

    clock-banner-side

    Get Your
    Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

    exit-popup-close
    We can help you get a better grade and deliver your task on time!
    • Instructions Followed To The Letter
    • Deadlines Met At Every Stage
    • Unique And Plagiarism Free
    Order your paper now