The Influence of Nature in Early Literature: Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Philosophically concerned, the universe is composed of Nature and the Soul" (McQuade 487).

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist and poet best known for leading the Transcendentalist movement in the mid-19^th century. The transcendentalist movement was based on the theory that man's relationship with God should be defined through spiritual discoveries and is more than the physical. It reasoned that people should trust their own intuition and logic over societal norms. “Emerson developed on certain ideas such as individuality, freedom, and the relationship between one’s soul and the world that surrounds us.”  (McQuade 480)

 Emerson is best known for his essay, Nature. This essay is considered the piece of work at which transcendentalism became a major cultural movement. Nature was a significant piece of work that established a new way of looking at the Americans and our raw, natural environment. Emerson believed that nature is essential to a person’s intellectual, and moral, health and growth. He describes nature as being a “paradise” and believed that all things were connected to God. As shown in Nature, Emerson believed that we are an intricate part of a bigger design, and only in nature can we realize this. Emerson goes beyond the obvious beauty of nature to recognize the spiritual element in the landscape, "Emerson's Nature shows the melding of these two streams of thought, as he sets out the idea that the external universe and the mind are exact equivalents" (Robinson 21).

 Emerson believed that all things were connected to God, and therefore, all things were divine. These beliefs were considered to be quite radical at the time. His views suggested that the truth could be intuitively revealed directly from nature. Emerson’s work continues to inspire and influence thinkers and writers around the world. Emerson is seen as being one of the first writers to develop a literary style that is uniquely American. "In Emerson's view, nature-the land itself- should be the source for articulating and developing a unique American cultural identity" (McQuade 482).

Emerson valued nature for the artistic and spiritual opportunities it offered. He believed that nature needed to be cherished for its beautiful qualities, not exploited for financial gain.