Over
the past few months I have seen that man and nature are connected. I have seen
what I believe to be the true beauty of nature. All three writers that I’ve
studied this fall (Emerson, Thoreau, and Haskell) have taught me that humans are
a part of nature, but we are disconnected because of the world we live in.
People don’t realize that nature is everywhere.
Emerson
speaks of man and nature being one and the same. He writes that man in his
purest form is a form of nature. However, the world and society pull man away from this connection. Thoreau talks about finding solitude within ourselves because
society makes everything too trivial. I
believe that men are pulled away from nature this way. As Thoreau says, even farming has
become unnatural. I do believe in Emerson’s idea of the Over-Soul because I
feel the connection between the world and myself. I think that the Over-Soul
can explain the deep connection between people because people we are all part of nature.
Haskell thinks that the
unnatural (manmade) world is actually natural as well because something natural created it. He
recognizes that golf balls in the woods belong there because animals that
happen to be people put them there. I definitely agree with Haskell on this
point. I don’t believe there has to be a separation between the natural and
man-made world. Like Thoreau said, you don’t have to go to the corners of the
Earth to find solitude. Being in nature isn’t about the place; it’s about the
state of mind.
I
confirmed these thoughts in my own experience, I discovered that natural beauty can’t be located in a single element. When choosing my spot, I went to the river because I was
looking for something beautiful. When I arrived, the river was the least
interesting part of my experience. As I sat there, I felt the entire place: the wind, the sounds of animals. I found beauty through my openness to experience, not through proximity to the river. Nature and beauty are often sought out on trips and vacations.
However, true beauty can be found anywhere if you allow your mind to feel all
of your senses.
I
now see nature as a state of being instead of a place or a concrete thing. All
things are natural. Nature can be found in the woods or in the living room
chair. You have to be one with yourself to find the connection to the
Over-Soul.
