Compare and Contrast the Relationship between Man and Nature in Emerson and Thoreau

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The relationship between man and nature is immeasurable because man and nature are interdependent on each other. Nature is everything that supports life on earth and man enjoys the beauty of nature. Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in 1803 in Boston and he was teacher by profession and also a naturalist (Semihatopal, n.d). Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord in July 12th 1817 and he was an ecological prophet and also naturalist who was the student of Emerson. (Rickett, 1916). Emerson and Thoreau are the two transcendentalists in nineteenth century who inspired and encourage people to love nature. Since Thoreau was Emerson’s student, they shared ideas and knowledge about the American transcendentalism because Thoreau was affected by Emerson’s ideas about individualism and society. They encourage Individualism and self-reliance; the theories of Emerson and Thoreau had not only influenced the nature lovers but also the dominant part of political and social people as a whole, sensitising the people that their ideas are the most important than everything. Therefore, Emerson and Thoreau followed the same theory about the relationship between man and nature as both were transcendentalist; they also have different ideas and views such as writing essay on Government, nature as a teacher, relationship between man and nature, understanding the nature as it provides basic living to a man.

Emerson and Thoreau have the same idea of being individual but they wrote different essays on different views. Emerson in The American Scholar, (1837) wrote essay on “Self Reliance” which means man is responsible for his own life and Government should work for the people and should not control the lives of people and either Government should not be po...

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Emerson, RW. (Spring semister, 2014). The American Scholar.

Semihatopal. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.oocities.org/yaoleechena/1778-1784/walnhen.html

Stacy, I. (Spring Semister, 2014). Class notes.

Thoreau, HD. (Spring Semister, 2014). Where I lived, and What I lived for.

References

Deep Spirits. (2014). Retrieved from www.deepspirits.com/great/henry-david-thoreau/

Drisoce, C. (June 30,2009). Retrieved from http://voices.yahoo.com/comparing-contrasting-ralph-waldo-emerson-and-3659623.html

Emerson, RW. (Spring semister, 2014). The American Scholar.

Semihatopal. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.oocities.org/yaoleechena/1778-1784/walnhen.html

Stacy, I. (Spring Semister, 2014). Class notes.

Thoreau, HD. (Spring Semister, 2014). Where I lived, and What I lived for.

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