Speech for Emerson Presentation
Introduction:
• Throughout his work, Emerson is calling for a break from British influence on literature that is produced by American citizens.
• He does this by advocating a progressive approach, rather than drawing upon the ideas of the past, particular those that based in the histories of Britain and Europe.
• However, to achieve this, Emerson draws on existing ideas that were set out by British Romantic authors, such as Wordsworth and Byron.
Nature:
In her article Romanticism, Packer argues that while formerly he was not impressed with Wordsworth’s portrayal of the nature, Emerson later argued that his ‘way of rendering natural appearances now struck him as original’ . Wordsworth’s influence over Emerson’s studies becomes clearly apparent if we compare the ideas of the text Nature to those that are present within Tintern Abbey.
For example, both of these texts argue that man is served by nature through its beauty. In his text Nature, he asserts that for those who are cramped within the bounds of society, ‘nature is medicinal and restores their tone’ and those that view the beauty of ‘the sky and woods... is a man again.’ These ideas are clearly evident within stanza two of Tintern Abbey, where Wordsworth states that not only do his memories of nature permit a sense of ‘tranquil restoration’ but also allow him to escape his ‘corporeal’ body and ‘become a living soul’ . Both these images maintain that through nature, man is able to escape the limitations of their economic or social status, and in doing so, gain a sense of relief and boundlessness.
Moreover, Emerson’s integration of Wordsworth’s notions into his texts is also evident through his comment upon the link between nature and language. In his work he argues that mankind should experience nature first hand, as it allows us to communicate with each other. For instance, he maintains that the origin of most words comes from natural images, suggesting that the world is emblematic . He then goes on to claim that because of the symbolic quality of our language, ‘the whole of nature is a metaphor of the human mind’ , meaning, as Richardson argues, that ‘every mind can claim all of nature for his material.’ The idea that it is a means of communication between all men is also evident in stanza four of Tintern Abbey. Wordsworth states that within nature there is ‘a sense sublime’ - an element that ‘rolls through all things’ allowing him to hear and understand ‘[t]he still, sad music of humanity’ . These lines suggest that nature’s influence has not only allowed him to communicate thoroughly with his own thoughts, but also to understand and come to terms with the collective ideals of society-a concept that he previously ran to nature in order to escape from.
The individual and inwardness:
Throughout ‘Self Reliance’, Emerson focuses upon the idea of individuality and
