Main Blog Post (November 20th)
Isaac Sarmiento
Dr. Lee
Engl&244
November 20, 2015
Blog Assignment: Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Nature" (Pg.214-243)
Ralph Waldo Emerson is the most influential American writer of his time in the nineteenth century, if it wasn't for Emerson's essays such as self reliance and nonconformity then Henry David Thoreau and Margaret Fuller's career maybe would have went different paths. He was born in 1803 in Boston Massachusetts, and was the son of Ruth Haskins and Rev. William Emerson. Emerson also led the transcendentalist movement in the mid 19th century. He slowly drifted away from his religious beliefs as well as social beliefs. After Harvard, Emerson had helped his brother William in a school for young woman. After a couple years Emerson started to make his living as a schoolmaster. Emerson ended up meeting his wife, Ellen Louisa Tucker on Christmas day in New Hampshire. Later on his wife had died and he started to disagree with the church. He had then inherited a little bit of money after his wife died. He had then returned to live with his Mother in the united states in Massachusetts. With having many great literally stories and inspiring readings, "Nature" is a very great reading in which it sets out an ability to see the universe as how it is presented rather than for what its not.
He wrote "Nature" a short reading but very interesting and talks about the tendency to accept traditions and knowledge of the past instead of wanting to experience god and nature directly. Its really about how all are questions about the universe or the relationships between god and nature may be answered by our personal experience's with life. In the beginning of the reading Emerson describes true solitude as going out into nature and leaving behind activities as well as the society. He also talks about the poetical approach to nature the perception of the whole made up by many individual components. In order to experience the true aspects of nature, we need to approach it with a well balance between inner and outer senses in order to truly understand it. And all aspects of nature connect somehow to some state of mind. In nature, which also is a part of god, man finds qualities similar to his own. Emerson discusses the ways in which man employs nature ultimately to reach insight into the workings of our universe. He talks about 4 major aspects which are Commodity, Beauty, Language, and Discipline. And in Commodity he uses the most basic uses of nature for heat, food, water, shelter, and transportation. Although he ranks these as being low uses, and also states that they are only applications that many men have for nature, they are perfect and appropriate in their own way. In this reading he also talks about natural beauty and he presents three properties of beauty. First, nature restores and gives pleasure to a man. Nature also pleases even in its harshest moments. Secondly, Nature works together with a spiritual element inside a man to exceed the nobility of virtuous human actions. Nature itself provides a large and impressive background against which man's higher actions are outlined. Thirdly, Emerson points out the capacity of natural beauty to raise the level of human intellect. Because action follows upon reflection, Nature's beauty is seen in the mind, and expressed through unique action.
With the big theme building up in this reading it obvious to see Ralph Waldo Emerson wants us to see nature for what it is and learn the true aspects of it in hopes to find answers we seek not only with ourselves but with god. In reading his writing of Nature and understanding many aspects of what he is trying to show in this read it is shown that he was very tactful of what he's trying to present to people only about nature and its beauty and the many great things that could come of it. A great quote from this reading is about the "Transparent Eye-Ball", Emerson states " When we speak of nature in this manner, we have a distinct but most poetical sense in the mind"(R. Emerson 216). Emerson is trying to say that when we speak of nature and its true aspects we get a better understanding of it and acknowledge it more for what it is. This shows a big theme that supports the overall theme of what Ralph tries to set out for us in which that is having a clear mind of what nature truly is; Beauty but only in which you understand it and set out forth to experience it and seek it. And to see only with the eye to gather that information of the true nature of our universe to see how it forms the basis for religion and ethics. This is what Emerson saw and wanted other people to see and understand "Nature".
Nice work Isaac! I really enjoyed reading your post. You captured all of the important main ideas of Emerson’s writing very well. I agree that Emerson writing about nature was to portray and focus on the fact that there is a tendency to accept traditions and knowledge of the past instead of wanting to experience god and nature directly. Nature to Emerson was a means to find ourselves individually, personally and gain answers to questions. And not only that but nature wasn’t just something we experienced and was a part of. No, it was something more. To him, it was something we communicated with; our soul in communication with that of the earth. Doing this allowed for people, at least in his eyes, to better discipline themselves and their minds to focus on the things that mattered and find themselves. Material things were of no importance to him. The latest fashions of clothing were not necessity and the focus was to come to understand the connection between yourself and nature and develop a relationship between the two and even God.
ReplyDeleteOverall I would agree with you on the theme. He wrote this to make it clear that to better understand reality and the universe, we must become one with nature and in this way better understand God. With regards to that and keeping with the theme of Transcendentalism, Emerson shows that we must continually strive to be our best selves. Nature helps with that goal unlike that of the world. He believes the world is a distraction and keeps us from further progressing and becoming one with ourselves and who we should be. When Emerson states, "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” (234) he is saying that our bodies should become one with the earth and in this way become more pure and true; better.
Great Post. I also enjoyed what you wrote. I believe Ralph Waldo Emerson was a very influential writer and changed american literature for the better. He ventured off into places where people at the time wouldn't dare write about so it was pretty cool. I agree with what you said about how he urged others to find their own way and their own beliefs. Nature is very important to our souls. Emerson believed we should all give it our best and put effort into everything we do.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you on pretty much everything. Emerson urges us to look at our surroundings a bit more and that we should try to understand everything better. He wants us to come to our own conclusions and to believe in ourselves, not to believe in what everyone else thinks is okay.