English 341

2/7/97 class discussion

The idea of nature in the time of the American Renaissance seemed to be very confused. As was pointed out in the article "Nature and the American Tradition" (found on the web), there were mixed thoughts and opinions about the role of the wilderness and the limitations of civilization. Emerson's essay entitled "Nature" is an excellent example of the jumbled opinions that he and his contemporaries held.

Emerson gives several definitions of Nature and its importance it plays in men's lives, and many of them seem to disagree with others that he has previously stated. One example of this is in the first chapter `Nature', Emerson states that contemplation of nature is more important than relationships with other men, be they brother, father, or friend. In the next chapter `Commodity', Emerson contradicts himself. He states that nature is the material, the process, and the result. He continues with the idea that nature serves men. This is just one example of the many seemingly contradictory statements I noticed in Emerson's "Nature". I would like to focus on defining exactly what nature is and what Emerson feels about it.