"Nature" By Ralph Waldo Emerson: Transcendentalism at the Core of American Identity
This article summarizes and explains the eight different themes of Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Nature", published in 1836. These themes are nature, commodity, beauty, language, discipline, idealism, spirit, and prospects. The article separately analyzes the claims made in each theme of "Nature" and how the values of transcendentalism are portrayed within them. Emerson's argument about, " the benefits of nature on the human soul", is broken down in an easy to understand way that opens readers eyes to the remarkable things the wilderness can provide for us.
The section covering the wild itself explains, "All the objects in nature entail such an impression of wisdom, happiness and simplicity." This makes you think about the materialism society encourages us to take part in. There is no way all the physical things in your life gives you a feeling of pure, genuine happiness. Even if you love your stuff, you still look at your big house and see a mortgage and you still look at your car and see impending payments. Everything about civilization comes at a cost, but Emerson shows us that that is where nature is different. "The tradesman, the attorney comes out of the din and craft of the street and sees the sky and woods, and is a man again. In their eternal calm, he finds himself". This ability to find inner peace and satisfaction doesn't have a price tag on it but instead offers it's beauty and experience selflessly to you. Nature is "in the service of man", so how could it not be the best way to make us better as people?
Ralph Waldo Emerson was not the only well-known figure to share these transcendentalist beliefs. In addition, we have Henry David Thoreau, who shares his outlook on solitude in the wild, in his book Walden.
The section covering the wild itself explains, "All the objects in nature entail such an impression of wisdom, happiness and simplicity." This makes you think about the materialism society encourages us to take part in. There is no way all the physical things in your life gives you a feeling of pure, genuine happiness. Even if you love your stuff, you still look at your big house and see a mortgage and you still look at your car and see impending payments. Everything about civilization comes at a cost, but Emerson shows us that that is where nature is different. "The tradesman, the attorney comes out of the din and craft of the street and sees the sky and woods, and is a man again. In their eternal calm, he finds himself". This ability to find inner peace and satisfaction doesn't have a price tag on it but instead offers it's beauty and experience selflessly to you. Nature is "in the service of man", so how could it not be the best way to make us better as people?
Ralph Waldo Emerson was not the only well-known figure to share these transcendentalist beliefs. In addition, we have Henry David Thoreau, who shares his outlook on solitude in the wild, in his book Walden.