Return to Innocence

In Emerson’s essay “Nature” it is stated that adults are unable to see nature, and that what they do see is purely superficial. A person might see the sun, but they will not consider its warmth, illumination, and incredible significance. I find it magnificent that what he says here continues to ring true with the present day, as it seems fewer people truly embrace the beauty and glory that is the natural world. I believe this essay is attempting to show how nature should invoke these emotions, and that those who do not feel so are not only numb but also blind to the beauty of the world around them. Might this be why Emerson equates himself to a transparent eyeball? He sees and feels the world with no reservations and no barriers. By seeing the world through the eyes of a poet he is able to experience the earth the way it was intended and the way many adults cannot. There is, however, a place where one might remove this blindness and see firsthand the beauty of the natural world.

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