Nature (essay)
Nature is an essay written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, published anonymously in 1836. It is in this essay that the foundation of transcendentalism is put forth, a belief system that espouses a non-traditional appreciation of nature. [1] Transcendentalism suggests that divinity diffuses all nature, and speaks to the notion that we can only understand reality through studying nature. [2] A visit to the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris inspired a set of lectures delivered in Boston and subsequently the ideas leading to the publication of Nature.
Many scholars identify Emerson as one of the first writers (with others, notably Walt Whitman) to develop a literary style and vision that is uniquely American, rather than following in the footsteps of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and others who were strongly influenced by their British cultural heritage. "Nature" is the first significant work to establish this new way of looking at The Americas and its raw, natural environment. In England, all natural things are a reference to layers of historical events, a reflection of human beings. However, in America, all of nature was relatively new to Western Civilization with no man-made meaning. With this clean slate, as it were, Emerson was enabled to see nature through new eyes, or as he phrased it, the "transparent eyeball" and rebuild nature's role in the world.
Within this essay, Emerson divides nature into four usages; Commodity, Beauty, Language and Discipline. These distinctions define the ways by which humans use nature for their basic needs, their desire for delight, their communication with one another and their understanding of the world.[3]
Henry David Thoreau had read "Nature" as a senior at Harvard College and took it to heart. It eventually became an essential influence for Thoreau's later writings, including his seminal Walden. In fact, Thoreau wrote Walden while living in a self-built cabin on land that Emerson owned. Their longstanding acquaintance offered Thoreau great encouragement in pursuing his desire to be a published author. [4]
Emerson followed the success of this essay with a famous speech entitled "The American Scholar". These two works laid the foundation for both his new philosophy and his literary career.
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[edit] Synopsis
Many would call Ralph Waldo Emerson’s writing “metaphorical”, and that is just what his essay, “Nature, is- metaphorical and vague. “Nature”, is centered on the theme of, nonetheless, nature, in which Emerson lays out a problem that he attempts to solve throughout the essay; a problem in which he believes man doesn’t fully accept nature’s beauty and all that it has to offer. According to Emerson, people are distracted by the world around them; nature gives back to man, but man doesn’t reciprocate the favor. Emerson culminates his ideas, breaking down his essay into eight sections- Nature, Commodity, Beauty, Language, Discipline, Idealism, Spirit, and Prospects, all of which give a different light on nature and mans relationship.
Nature is perfectly suitable for man, but according to Emerson, man must take himself away from society’s flaws and distractions, and create “wholeness” with nature. Emerson believes that solitude is the only way man can fully adhere to what nature has to offer. Reflecting upon this idea of solitude, and mans search for it, Emerson states, “To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society. I am not solitary whilst I read and write, though nobody is with me. But if a man would be alone, let him look at the stars” {reflist}. Clearly, man must allow nature to “take him away”, society can destroy mans wholeness. Nature and man must create a reciprocal relationship, “Nature, in its ministry to man, is only the material, but is also the process and the result. All the parts incessantly work into each other’s hands for the profit of man. The wind sows the seed; the sun evaporates the sea; the wind blows the vapor to the field; the ice, on the other side of the planet, condenses rain on this; the rain feeds the plant; the plant feeds the animal; and thus the endless circulations of the divine charity nourish man” {reflist}, as Jefferson says, nature and man need each other to be beneficial. This relationship that Emerson depicts is somewhat spiritual; man must recognize the spirit of nature, and accept it as the Universal Being. “Nature is not fixed but fluid. Spirit alters, moulds, makes it. The immobility or bruteness of nature, is the absence of spirit; to pure spirit, it is fluid, it is volatile, it is obedient” {reflist}. Emerson explains that nature is not “fixed or fluid”; to a pure spirit, nature is everything.
Although highly metaphorical and vague, “Nature”, creates such a different perspective towards one view of nature. Emerson abstractly speaks to every man; metaphorically creating common ground.
[edit] Theme: Spirituality
Emerson uses spirituality as a major theme in his essay, “Nature”. Emerson believed that something existed over God, something large and visible, which he referred to as nature; such an idea is known as transcendentalism, in which one rejects God and their body, and becomes one with their surroundings. Emerson confidently exemplifies transcendentalism, stating, “From the earth, as a shore, I look out into that silent sea. I seem to partake its rapid transformations: the active enchantment reaches my dust, and I dilate and conspire with the morning wind” {reflist}, proving that man and wind are one. Emerson referred to nature as the “Universal Being”; he believed that there was a spiritual sense of the natural world around him. Depicting this sense of “Universal Being”, Emerson states, “The aspect of nature is devout. Like the figure of Jesus, she stands with bended head, and hands folded upon the breast. The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lesson of worship”.
According to Emerson, there were three spiritual problems addressed about nature for man to solve, “What is matter? Whence is it? And Whereto?”. What is matter? Matter is a phenomenon, not a substance; rather, nature is something that is experienced by man, and grows with mans emotions. Whence is it and Whereto? Such questions can be answered with a single answer, nature’s spirit is expressed through man, “Therefore, that spirit, that is, the Supreme Being, does not build up nature around us, but puts it forth through us”, states Emerson. Emerson clearly depicts that everything must be spiritual and moral, in which there should be goodness between nature and man.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Liebman, Sheldon W. “Emerson, Ralph Waldo.” The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature. Ed. Jay Parini. Oxford University Press, 2004. Web.
- ^ “Transcendentalism.” The Oxford Dictionary of English. 2010. Web.
- ^ Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Nature.” The Oxford Companion to American Literature. Ed. James D. Hart. Rev. Philip W. Leininger. Oxford University Press, 1995. Web.
- ^ Reidhead, Julia. “Henry Davidson Thoreau.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2008. 825-828. Print.
- ^ Baym, Nina, Wayne Franklin, Philip F. Gura, and Arnold Krupat. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Seventh ed. Vol. B. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2007
[edit] External links
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Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
- Nature – Digitized copy of the first edition from the Internet Archive.
- Nature at emerson central
- Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1836) at Oregon State University
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