Introduction
Ralph Emerson and Henry Thoreau are now viewed by many literary critics as the most prominent representatives of such school of philosophy as transcendentalism, which is mostly based on the belief that a human being can learn the truth only through intuition. It also emphasizes the role of nature and its relationship to people. Both authors explore this issue; however, they regard it from different perspectives. In his essay “Nature” and “Divine School Address”, Ralph Emerson opposes it as the perfect “City of God” to the City of Men or society (Emerson, 5). He argues that people are no longer able to see the nature and that the bonds between them have significantly weakened. In his turn, Henry Thoreau stresses the importance of being self-sufficient or independent. In his view, a person can acquire these qualities through nature; this idea is reflected in his autobiographical book “Walden”. Ralph Emerson believes that nature is an example that people should follow, whereas Henry Thoreau regards it only as an escape from human society.
Discussion
First, it should be mentioned that the works, created by these authors, differ from each other in terms of genre. For instance, Ralph Emersons “Nature” is written in the form of speculative essay. The author wants to be as objective as possible, for example he often employs personal pronoun “we”. On the one hand, such formulation is typical of an essay, and it should not be considered as something unusual. However, it should be taken into account that “we” can denote humankind or society as well (Emerson, 8). In this respect, we can say that in the address in Divine School, Emerson is also reluctant to use the personal pronoun “I”, which means that his intention is to remain impartial. In sharp contrast with him, Thoreau gives preference to the first-person narration. The authors work “Walden” is a form of autobiography, though it is intertwined with philosophical speculations.
Another aspect that we should discuss is the way these writers perceive nature. For example, Emerson associates nature with God; he says, “Within these plantations of God, a decorum and sanctity reign… In these woods, we return to reason and faith”(Emerson, 8). In addition to that, he views nature as an animate being, able to respond to a person. According to him this response, depends upon the persons mood or spirit, “Nature always wears the colors of the spirit” (Emerson, 8). Emerson states that people should regard themselves only as an inseparable part of nature or “particle of God” (Emerson, 8). The author believes that through nature, a person can become enlightened and free. The main message that he wants to convey is that for God and subsequently for nature, people are equal, irrespective of their social status.
In his “Divinity School Address”, Emerson elaborates this idea, by saying that the rules, established in the society contradict the laws of God. He states that a human being can judge the morality or immorality of ones actions by “intuition”, which should act as a guide (Emerson, 2). The main problem is that people often disregard it and pay more attention to the external laws. Moreover, Emerson argues that the church misinterpreted the main ideas of Jesus Christ; his principles are only officially declared, but they are not followed (Emerson, 1).
Unlike him, Henry Thoreau does not draw parallels between nature and God, but he also thinks that it is an animate being. For instance, throughout the text he capitalizes this word and says “Nature herself”(Thoreau, 154). The author wants to prove that we should not afraid of solitude, because it gives us a chance to turn to nature. He says, “I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.”(Thoreau, 235). He argues that a person can be lonely even remaining with other people. Thoreau believes that only nature can give people real joy, “”I am monarch of all I survey, My right there is none to dispute.” (Thoreau, 144).
It is very difficult to say which of the two writers has the most effective message, because they interpret the concept of nature from different standpoints. Emerson mostly discusses it in connection with divinity, believing it to be Gods masterpiece, while Thoreau mostly explores the phenomenon of spiritual solitude. According to him, nature fills the emptiness inside, and it cannot be done by society. Nevertheless, it seems that Emersons ideas have far-reaching consequences because he points out that the rules of man and even those ones of Christian church often contradict the main law of nature, love. Apart from that, Ralph Emerson shows that a person should follow his or hers intuition as a guideline. Later, this idea was supported by many philosophers.
Probably, it would be better to consider the works of these authors together because their ideas only supplement each other, especially if we are speaking about the intuition and self-sufficiency. The concept of self-sufficiency also implies the ability to make independent decisions. Moreover, Ralph Emerson and Henry Thoreau argue that nature is animate. Thus, we should not discuss the works of these authors separately; it would be more prudent to analyze them within the context of transcendentalism.
Cocnlusion
The main difference between them is that Emerson explores nature mostly in connection with human society, particularly; he thinks that people should follow their intuition, which is the most natural way. Unlike him, Thoreau does not draw parallels between nature and society, more likely, the writer opposes these notions, for him, nature is a way to become free from other people.
Bibliography
Henry David Thoreau, Will H. Dircks, Richard Whiteing. “Walden”. Plain Label Books, 1996.
Ralph Waldo Emerson. “Divinity School Address”. Web.
Ralph Waldo Emerson. “Nature” J. Munroe & company, 2006.