Ralph Waldo Emerson“Nature”

Biography

Introduction Emerson claims that at that time society, in

general, viewed God and nature through whose eyes? What is his argument against this? Use textual

evidence as evidence for your claims. What does Emerson mean by “why should we

grope among the dry bones of the past”? (508) What is he calling us to do? (508)

According to Emerson, the universe is composed of what? What is nature? (509) Provide textual evidence. What is art? What is his opinion of it? (509)

Chapter 1: Nature What does Emerson mean when he writes

“To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society”? Why do we need solitude? For what purpose?

According to Emerson, how many adults can actually “see nature”? (510) Who is the “lover of nature”?

How does Emerson connect nature with God? (510-511) Explain the concept of the “transparent

eyeball” (511)

Chapter 2: Commodity How does Emerson rank the use of

nature as a commodity? Why does he not spend more time discussing this use? (512)

What does he mean by using nature as a commodity? (512) How is nature used by humanity?

What are some examples that Emerson uses to illustrate this idea?

Chapter 3: Beauty What is Emerson referring to when he describes “the plastic

power of the human eye”? (512) What ‘proof’ does Emerson offer of our perception of

nature as beautiful? (513) What are the three aspects of beauty? What does Emerson mean by “the simple perception of

natural forms is a delight”? (513) What are some examples that he gives? Unlike city folk, Emerson finds beauty what time of the

year? Why? Explain the concept of beauty as an “object of the

intellect”? (515) “Thus is Art, a nature passed through the alembic of man”

(516). What does Emerson mean? Why does the soul seek beauty? (516)

Chapter 4: Language What are the three ways that “Nature is

the vehicle of thought”? (516) Explain what Emerson means by “Words

are signs of natural facts” (516) What is Emerson’s main point? How does he prove this? What some

examples that Emerson uses to explain his argument.

Chapter 4: Language What does Emerson mean by “Particular natural facts

are symbols of particular spiritual facts”? (516-517) Emerson posits “Every appearance in nature

corresponds to some state of the mind…” What does he mean by this? (517) What examples does he use to illustrate this point?

How has our language become corrupted over time? (518)

Explain Emerson’s assertion that “Nature is the symbol of spirit” (519) How is nature a language in itself? How does Emerson

explain this? What does Emerson mean by the “world is

emblematic”? (519)