Comparing the Theme of Nature with Works from Dicknson...

Comparing the Theme of Nature with Works from Dicknson Whitman and Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson once stated that â€Å"the first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature.† Nature in all its forms parallels with life, death, and the soul. Whether the sunshines or the rain falls, whether a flower blooms or willows, nature will always recreate itself and remain a mystery to mankind. To become one with nature, one must explore oneself and know that the simplicity found in it is both divine and perfect. The theme of nature plays a mayor role throughout Whitman, Dickinson, and Emerson’s writings. Each poet conveys his or her view of nature in a unique and symbolic way by searching for the†¦show more content†¦/ It’s laws are the laws of his own mind.†(Pg.48). By stating this, he stresses that each man is different and far apart from each other. Emerson uses nature as a means of escape and power. He wants us to â€Å"look at the world with new eyes†(Nature, Pg.42) and understand that something as simple as a grain of sand, is beautiful in its own way. Once we can understand this concept of pure existence, than we will know what it is like to be an individual. Whitman also discuses nature through discovering one’s self, but unlike Emerson, he feels that we as individuals should embrace all society that surrounds us. Whitman sees all men as contributing to the greatness of each other. He views mankind and nature as intertwining in the circle of life and death. In his poem, â€Å"Song of Myself†, Whitman states that â€Å" a child said What is the grass? Fetching it to me with full/hands†(Pg.27) By using a metaphor, such as the bundle of grass, Whitman is able to explain that although each strand of grass is different, they all grow the same way and when put together they are united as one. When discussing nature in the form of death, Dickinson portrays it as a relief, salvation, and an escape to a better place. She views death as being a good and positive thing. In her poem Death and Life, she brilliantly compares the death of a flower, to the death of a human. She states that â€Å" Apparently with no surprise/to any happy flower, /The frost beheads it at its