Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston, Mass. on May 25, 1803. He graduated from Harvard College in 1821. In 1829, he joined the Unitarian Ministry. He soon became doubtful and unsure of Christian writings and teachings. After his wife died in 1831, his doubts overcame him. Therefore, in 1832, he resigned from the Unitarians in hope of finding a philosophy that fit him and creation. Christianity was too traditional and impersonal (Galenet Online).

It was only a few years later that Emerson would leave his lasting mark on the world. In 1836, Emerson helped initiate the Transcendentalist movement by publishing "Nature." His other wo

Emerson wrote and lectured that man should make his own path through life and not take a path cleared by the many. "'Trust thyself; every heart vibrates to that iron string'" (qtd. in Gerber Online). To conform to society and lose one's identity is to lose one's individuality and one's uniqueness. Man should use the limitless potential he has to its utmost. He ought to create his unique path through society to where his individuality will carry him.

The relationship between man and nature is a beneficent one. When an individual goes into nature, his childish self becomes prominent. "The observant child experiences nature in a much more fulfilling way than the arrogant adult" (Emerson 10). "The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and heart of the child. In the woods is perpetual youth" (Emerson 10).

The unity of man and nature cannot be mistaken. "The movement of tree limbs during a windy storm and the gentle swaying of forests as a breeze passes by uplift one's being" (Emerson 11). "Its effect is like that of a higher thought or a better emotion coming over me" (Emerson 11). In nature, man suddenly feels light and airy. He rises, being carried into "infinite space-all mean egotism vanishes. I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me" (Emerson 10). By being in nature, one comes upon the feeling of losing his human point of view. It feels as if he exists as a part of nature. An omniscient point of view is created through intuition. "I am part or particle of God" (Emerson 10). One becomes ubiquitous. He sees everything, feels everything and becomes tied to everything. By becoming one with the Oversoul, one becomes part of all creation. The power of the relationship between man and nature is ove

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Approximate Word count = 1210
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)