The Relationship between Man and Nature in Emerson and Thoreau Part 5

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Compare and contrast the relationship between man and nature in Emerson and Thoreau?

Ralph Waldo Emerson was born on May 25th, 1803 and died on April 1882. He was a poet, lecturer and essay writer. Slowly he started to disbelieve in his religion and social believes and started to study philosophy like Plato (Transcendental, nature). Keeping in mind his philosophy studies he gave a speech on “The American scholar” in 1837. Only during 1932 “The American Scholar” became the most popular magazine, where a speech was declared by Emerson to the people of America and his speech became one of the best sellers and had won many awards. Thoreau began writing during 1840s with the help of Emerson as his teacher and friend as well. He was known for his opinions about Transcendentalism during those days. Both of them wrote many poems about Nature. Emerson and Thoreau consider that nature is what forces them not to depend on others idea but to develop their own. Which inspired themselves and encouraged others to write on their own? The relationship between Emerson and Thoreau on man and nature has implemented their own ideas but have similar ideas at some extended and both of them learned from each other.

According to Thoreau, "I wanted...to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion" (Thoreau 235). He takes Emerson’s advice were he says, "Let us demand our own works and laws and worship" (Emerson 215). Emerson tells that people depend upon possessions or effects that was told by ancestors and doesn’t put hard work. Neither people take what on earth our lineages and others before us have told and we don’t think twice about whether we should try new ways or path for ourselves nor do what they did....

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... Thoreau describes the coming of spring as a vast transformation of the face of the world, a time when all sins are forgiven.

Works Cited

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Emerson’s Beliefs. Retrieved from on April 18, 2014 from

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Thoreau, H. D. (1854). Walden; or, life in the woods. Retrieved from

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/205/205-h/205-h.htm

Emerson, R. W. (1907). The American scholar. In Essays. Retrieved from http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16643/16643-h/16643-h.htm

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