Transcendentalism

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nature
Chapter I: Nature

Reflection:
Through the use of figurative language, Emerson explains to the non-poet that in order to view the world and nature plainly, we must "cast our eyes" like a snake sheds its skin and begin to see the world as a child once again. When we begin to see the world as a child again, we begin to accept things, than manipulate things as we want to see them as the adult does. This causes ourselves to experience the "Ultimate Being" when we come into contact with nature.

Diary Entry:
That Ralph Emerson, who does he think he is, talking about casting away our eyes and some "Ultimate Being", science has proved all of that wrong. Humans can't just cast away their years, we cannot live forever, but if we could, that would be great. And his talk about the "Ultimate being" that he feels, its probably just a breeze that he feels. He a loony and somebody has to stop him, for some reason he has had many followers in his, his, I don't know, cult, religion, its all so confusing.'


Paragraph 18-32: Self-Reliance and the Individual

Reflection:
Through the use of metaphor, Emerson compares the everyday person to that of royalty if they got over the feeling of inferiority that is imposed just because of a title that some people have been given or earned. Emerson says that, "Material objects, especially those that are imposing—Emerson cites magnificent buildings and heroic works of art, including costly books—often intimidate people by making them feel of lesser worth. This feeling of inferiority is a mistake: Humans determine an object’s worth, not vice versa". Emerson is saying that people are worth what they put out, not by what they don't have. The feelings of inferiority comes from when we feel insecure because we may not have the fancy things that others have, or from what little understanding that we have for big things, we have to work for those feeling to go away, and so that we feel equal with others.

Diary Entry:
Mr. Emerson is a complete genius, of course the only way to bypass the feelings of inferiority is by working to overcome it. If we overcome our feelings of inferiority, then we should be able to overcome anything, as long as we work for it.