Nature

Short Answer

1. Briefly outline anything you know about the 19th-century American philosophical and artistic movement called transcendentalism. Alternatively, what ideas come to mind when you hear the name of transcendentalist thinker Henry David Thoreau or the title of his most famous book, Walden Pond?

Teaching Suggestion: Look for answers that show an understanding of transcendentalism as a form of idealism that emphasized ideas over material appearances, valued self-reliance and self-reflection over formal education and organized religion, and promoted communing with nature. Also, look for the understanding that transcendentalism was the first uniquely American school of philosophy.

Helpful link: An Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy article that provides information about transcendentalism, as well as its connections with Emerson, idealism, and the contemplation of beauty.

2. How would you define nature? Draft a one or two-sentence definition of the term “nature.”

Teaching Suggestion: Ask students to share their various definitions and then put together a list of collectively agreed-upon terms or phrases that best characterize nature. After students have read “Nature,” ask them to create a list of terms Emerson uses to define nature, and compare the two lists. In what ways are the lists similar? What accounts for any significant differences between them?

Discussion Prompt

What do you know about the Industrial Revolution in America? When did it begin and in which part of the country? What natural resources fueled the Revolution? What social changes did it spark?

Teaching Suggestion: Use student responses to launch a discussion about the Industrial Revolution as an important part of the historical context within which Emerson wrote “Nature.” Note the significance of the fact that industrialization began in Massachusetts at the end of the 18th century before rapidly spreading throughout the Northeast and then the rest of the country. Encourage discussion about how the growth of factories and factory labor led to the development of cities and the shift of the US population from rural to urban areas. Provide students with a fuller understanding of Emerson’s reference to nature as “Commodity” by briefly considering early industrial processes and the natural resources on which they depended.

Helpful link: A short overview of the Industrial Revolution in America from the Library of Congress.