Nature and Selected Essays (Penguin Classics)

Nature, Ralph Waldo Emerson's first book, is his manifesto and thus the birth of Transcendentalism and true American Romanticism. It got little initial attention but has come to be seen as one of his major works. Though not as famous or acclaimed as later Emerson, it is of great significance not only historically but in terms of his career and the many he influenced. It is remarkable just how much of his writing is here in embryo; in a large sense, he spent the rest of his career refining this. Many key concepts are here: nature's all-encompassing beauty and force, our place in regard to it, art's role, and of course deduction of God from nature. Some speculations are more philosophical, historical, or critical, but all lead to these basic points, which are Transcendentalism's cornerstones. Emerson's characteristically optimistic thought is here in full, as is his signature poetic prose. He now unfortunately has the reputation of being somewhat impenetrable or simply impractical, but it is important to realize that he wrote for the masses; unlike nearly all philosophers, he did not rely on jargon or polysyllables. Time has of course obscured him somewhat, but he is still notably accessible compared to others. Yet his writing has a rare beauty rarely approached in any prose, much less philosophy; it is often as close to poetry as prose can be. That Emerson enjoyed writing - perhaps not the drudgery but certainly the exploration - is clear; he often works himself up to such a pitch that he positively rhapsodizes, producing near-lyrical beauty even when writing about the most abstract metaphysics. Nature has a consummate example - the "transparent eyeball," perhaps his most famous passage. The book has much to tell us even after all these years, and it is indeed somewhat ironic that factors ostensibly making it archaic - greater industrialization, ever-expanding technology, deforestation, etc. - in many ways make it really more relevant than ever. It is quite simply essential for anyone even remotely interested in Emerson or Transcendentalism - nay, American literature or history themselves. Nature is widely anthologized, meaning this standalone is perhaps not ideal. However, it has an Introduction and Afterword - and even color photos - to make it more attractive. All must decide if this makes it worthwhile, but the important thing is to read Nature in some form.

This was a good introduction to emerson. It's a small book, and far from a complete collection of his works, but it includes some of his most famous and moving essays as well as a few of his poems. This was my first reading of emerson, and at first, I didn't care too much for him. But after reading it a second time, I understood more clearly his message, and it began to grow on me. In fact, I've since purchased a complete collection of his writings as this book left me hungry for more. Even though this other book contains everything this book has, plus more, I am still glad I bought this book. It's nice to have a little pocket sized collection of his greatest hits. "The young man reveres men of genius, because, to speak truly, they are more himself than he is. They receive of the soul as he also receives, but they more."

An exquisite pocket sized edition. Emerson, as always, will stun you with his prose style rhetoric. "I am God in nature; I am a weed by the wall."

This is a radiant essay on nature's greatness. It's beautifully written by Emerson. This book will stay with you even months after you've read it.

Emerson is a genious. His words in this small edition are just as sweet and easily accessable. It is handy to have a small version to keep close at all times. Everytime I look at the night sky I think of a quote of Emerson, "But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile." That alone is a reason to own the work of Emerson.