Importance Of Nature In Ralph Waldo Emerson And Henry David Thoreau

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Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau both teach the importance of simplicity. Thoreau does so in Walden and Emerson in Self- Reliance. Emerson focuses on nature and the significance to appreciate it without all the distractions. Thoreau uses Emerson’s ideas and focuses on how the economy and money was taking our time away from being grateful for the little things in life. They both saw the simplicity of hard work and going for what one desires in life, to appreciate nature in a more intimate way, and to be self-reliant. Thoreau wants to take pleasure in the little things in life and to show how to live simply. He wants to show that by living in the woods with only the necessities in life was better than having to rely on money to make …show more content…
He writes, “To speak truly, few adult persons can see nature. Most persons do not see the sun. At least they have a superficial seeing. The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and heart of the child” (216). Emerson is trying to show how to appreciate the nature and all of its beauty in it, how the world with nature is a wonderful thing and as we grow older we start to admire the world and nature less each day. We start wanting things that are not as simple to get and therefore we do not know how to live a simple life anymore. We do not see it as a wonderful and great thing anymore, but as something dull and we do not know how to appreciate it anymore. He then adds the statement on how young kids see the worlds and nature in awe and are amazed with everything and they can actually appreciate it. Kids in live and are happy with the simple things in life because they know how to see it in a different perspective than adult. The way we connect with nature all depends on our self and how we want to live within it. Thoreau and Emerson see the importance in connecting with nature and finding one’s true self because that makes people see how simple life can be. Surrounding and connecting with nature is needed because people see the softness and calm of everything around them, without having to worry about the judgement of others and whether they are doing something wrong. Both authors thought that people should be focusing on the little details instead of the big picture, because sometimes the big picture does not always show what is needed to be seen. People forget to enjoy the little things in nature, like the leaves, the animals living within, the plants, and instead focus on the bigger things that are within eyelevel. People cannot learn to appreciate nature

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