Finding Oneself Through Nature

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau both wrote about finding oneself through nature, but they each do it differently. Emerson pointed out the spirituality in nature while Thoreau discussed the individualism found in nature. Emerson saw nature as finding oneself through a rebirth in nature. Both approach the same ideals, but did it in different ways. One can see the similarities between the two authors as well as the differences through Emerson's Nature and Thoreau's Walden. Both Thoreau's novel and Emerson's essay talk about nature and what it is like to spend time in nature.  Both authors try to get the reader to understand and take time to learn what Nature can teach not only about itself, but also how to find ourselves through it.

It is in Nature where Emerson writes the main ideals of Transcendentalism. Emerson links everything in human life to nature and then nature to spirituality. Emerson began Nature with the search "to come back to our real, initial state and see a down that we have yet behold, but first ray of being." Emerson started his essay with search to find himself by going to nature and observing the stars. Nature doesn't keep secrets; if you ask a question of nature then nature will answer it somehow. "I become a transparent eyeball. I am nothing I see all. The currents of the Universal Being circulate through me."  This is one of the most famous lines from the essay, Emerson is using the metaphor of the transparent eyeball to reveal not only the infinity of man, but also that through nature we become one with God.  Through doing so, we gain a sense of God's view of the world.  We see things differently when we become the transparent eyeball that Emerson talks about.  Many people myself included looks att he transparent eyeball as a way of understanding our faith, becoming one with God.

We can only become the transparent eyeball through nature.  Everything in society tend to come in the way of us seeing things in a view that is one of God's.  The transparent eyeball could also be seen as Emerson's way of focusing on nature itself as only God could see it.  Harold Bloom stated in his book Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Emerson wants to put God, man, and nature in an equal relationships."  Emerson wanted the readers to see God, man, and nature are all one.  We are a part of nature as well as a part of God.  The transparent eyeball is a way of representing that unity.  Some have seen the transparent eyeball as reference to Emerson himself.  That he saw himself as transparent and able to see things the way they should be seen.  That he felt like one with the nature all around as well as with God.  It has also been said that the transparent eyeball represents identity itself.  How we define our lives and how nature or rather being in nature can help us define it.

When we think of the transparent eyeball, and trying to find ourselves we should view it as viewing ourselves as transparent and seeing things as they are instead of how we want them to be.  Seeing things in a sense of how God or a god would see them can take away the fear we may have in life to do something different or to step out of our comfort zones.  When we are in nature we are encouraged to see things in a new life, and not just things and people around us, but also ourselves.

Emerson's essay contains a paradox of "I am nothing.  I see all," represent the 'relation between nature and language, the relationship between thought and thing (Bloom).   That gives us the idea that everything is related to one another.  Thoughts are links to things, nature is linked to language, people are linked to plants.  That is the general idea of the transcendentalists, and Emerson's essay is full of transcendelatist ideas.,  "I am nothing.  I see all" gives the notion that once we are in nature, we transcend the visible realm, but we still see the world around us, as well as the things we cannot visible see.  How can one be nothing yet see it all?  We are nothing in the grand scheme of things sometimes, but we can see everything happening and forming around us.

Like Emerson, Thoreau does signify being in Nature as a way of becoming a part of God.  He finds renewal of life, and a new looj at how life should be lived while he stayed at Walden Pond.  One of his powerful messages is telling people to go out to nature in order to learn about themselves.  Much like Emerson, Thoreau thought the best way for people to experience God or find unity within is through Nature.  One needs to spend time in Nature to get the full experience of God because you are surrounded by his uncorrupted creation.  Being in Nature forces one to be self reliant, which in turn gives on a sense of spirituality.

We see Emerson's biggest influence in Chapter two of Walden.  Thoreau discusses his home he built in relation to the cosmos and in an area where astronomers could see, in the same way that God created a world in space.  He does all this not to brag about himself and his own divine spirit, but to stress that everyone has a divine spirit within them.  Thoreau's bathing in Walden Pond holds the symbol of spiritual purification; baptistism, being washed in the spirit.  The water idea shows us that maybe Thoreau found a rebirthing in Nature, and that it is possible that we could find a sense of rebirthing if we spend more time in Nature.

It is then in Chapter 3 that the idea of always being prsent when no physically being present is portrayed. "The noblest written words are commonly as far behind or above the fleeting spoken language as the firmament with its stars is behind the clouds."  Words can last forever even after men have died.  The written word is one thing that will last forever as well as nature and like Emerson said nature is linked to language.  The image and legacy of words will carry on from generation to genergation, just the way the image and legacy of Nature would carry from each generation down.  Language is one of those things that doesn't have to be spoken to be able to understand.  Nature has a language of it's own that we understand which is what I like Thoreau was trying to get at in his novel.

According to R.W. Lewis' essay on Walden, nature was used as a way to "expose individuals to currents flowing through nature rather than grace through super-nature."  Thoreau's focus on nature was more towards fining onself and beauty within nature, while Emerson focused on nature as a way of becoming one with the Universal Being whatever we may think it would be.  Heinz Eulau stated that Walden was an "attempt of a sensitive spirit to discover his own integrity."  Thoreau went to Walden Pond to find himself and to find out what living life meant. Walden is an account for Thoreau desire to find new life, and a guideline for others to find the joys in a new life.

Emerson wanted people to go into nature and find unity with the "Universal Being," while Thoreau wanted people to find themselves and states they can do it through nature, but also emphasizes that individuals find their identities in their own ways and not his.  Both had ideas on Nature as a way of finding one's true identity.  To Emerson, finding that identity also meant finding unity with nature and the Universal Being.  His essay bent toward equality between the three.  Knowing the friendship between the two was key to understanding both men.  There are aspects of Thoreau which displays influence from Emerson, but Thoreau did it in his own way.