The Poet by Ralph Waldo Emerson - Essay Example

In his work, Emerson regards the functions of the poet and the nature as a superior calling. In The Poet, Emerson tries to establish a relationship between idea situation that people try to aspire and the real, which happens to be the pivotal point of the discussion (Schenk 45). In his essay “The Poet”, Ralph Waldo Emerson sets forth several ideas about poetry and the qualities of a true poet. This paper will choose one of those ideas and give a focused and detailed exploration of how Walden embodies or manifests the work of Emerson by giving specific textual evidence.

Additionally, this paper will also introduce some discussion of concept of Emerson by focusing on the other text. Emerson considers the Midwinter Day as an extended interest of nature, dailies, as well as contingency of a broader parcel that is relative to performance art and conceptual art. As Walden discusses nature, he manifests the idea of self-reliance, which is also a topic, accorded much of attention by Emerson in “The Poet”. It is through these authors’ intimate relationship with nature they develop their own specific identities and philosophies regarding how to live right in this natural world (66).

With reference to Emerson, nature has all the knowledge that a man needs to understand or know everything. However, this can only happen if man is attentive and most of all willing enough to study and apply nature’s messages into real life. There is manifestation of work of Emerson in almost every part of Walden description of the idea of nature. The same ways Emerson recognizes that man must live in his own already created world, Walden advises that humans must keep the vitality of solitude with perfect sweetness where man can only find this within nature even when in the innermost epicenter of a crowd.

However, in this particular angle of nature’s description, Walden takes a rather an extreme or radical stance (95). Walden advocates for a man’s radical return to nature and a subsequent disconnection from many human’s creations including the madness brought upon by the modern world. In Walden, Thoreau brings up this specific stance with the view of setting out a methodology of understanding not only oneself but also the society. In this sense, he sets forth that, the world is natural therefore not a man’s construction.

This means that the world is not a subject or taint of humans’ misguided ideas just as Emerson depicts the nature of humans’ institution. Like the human soul by itself, Emerson portrays physical world as untamed and wild. Walden embodies this explanation regarding nature and self-reliance when he puts across that in the natural world or nature itself, people find rules by which they live and by which they extort others. As a result, Walden points out those men’s institution posses no appeal for him because such is their status and do not fit or robust with the natural world.

In addition, he does not acknowledge these institutions as authoritative just as he says, “there exists no law that is sacred to me unlike that is of his own nature”. The world that humans live is natural and untamed (71). Nevertheless, within humans, some level of order exists and is equal to that of nature. This is only observable if man takes adequate time to study, research, conform, and understand his individual system. For the longest time ever,