Essay on Nature in American Literature - 917 Words

Nature in American Literature In American Literature many authors write about nature and how nature affects mans lives. In life, nature is an important part of people. Many people live, work, or partake in revelry in nature. Nature has received attention from authors spanning several centuries. Their attitudes vary over time and also reflect the different outlooks of the authors who chose to discuss this important historical movement. A further examination of this movement, reveals prevalence of natures influence on man and how it affects their lives. An early work in American Literature, Thanatopsis, is also one of the most influential works of nature and how it affects man. This work portrays nature as†¦show more content†¦In this work, man is an object in the middle of living nature. Nature itself draws us from dependence upon the past and invites us to a richer state of being. Do not remember the past for [t]he sun shines today†¦[t]here is more wool and flax in the fields†¦[t]here are new lands, new men, new thoughts(215). Which suggests that because there is always a tomorrow. Man should not focus on the present and be more concentrated on what will be happening in the future. Emerson believed that nature was beautiful and nowhere else on earth could he find the majestic settings of the macrocosm. As Emerson declares [in] wilderness, [he finds] something more dear and connate than in streets or villages(216). He cannot find anything more loved and kindred than in towns and cities than what he finds in nature. Unlike Thanatopsis, Emerson focuses on the living and not the defunct. He tells us that [in] the tranquil landscape, and especially in the distant line of the horizon, man beholds somewhat as beautiful as his own nature(216). Mans nature is more beautiful than the outside of his exterior. Therefore, according to this attitude, mans life is just a mere dot in this world of blackness. In 1854 Thoreau wrote the short story of Walden, eighteen years later from the publication of Nature and forty-three years later from the publication of Thanatopsis. In this work Thoreau presents anShow MoreRelatedThe Value Of Literature Courses1428 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is the value of literature courses? We live in an age where information is conveyed in 140 characters. Why should students be required to read longer works? (By way of helping students get started ... this question is based on your opinion and you should make a short argument for or against. It is okay to use first person, I.) Literature courses force people to think outside of their own cultural perceptions. 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