This paper analyzes five pivotal quotations from Ralph Waldo Emerson's essays Nature and Self-Reliance, unpacking their philosophical and literary significance. The discussion covers Emerson's celebration of natural beauty over materialism, his neo-Platonic vision of the visible and invisible worlds, his concept of humanity as fallen divinity, his warning against rigid conformist thinking, and his critique of derivative and sycophantic literature. Together, these passages illuminate the core of Emerson's Transcendentalist worldview and his insistence on individual perception, spiritual awareness, and intellectual independence.
"Give me health and a day, and I will make the pomp of emperors ridiculous."
Writing about beauty in Nature, Ralph Waldo Emerson extols the virtues of appreciating the details in the natural world. The "day" he refers to here is literal: the author has just finished describing the break of dawn and the rhythms and cycles of the universe. He follows this line with: "The dawn is my Assyria; the sun-set and moon-rise my Paphos." Health is also a literal reference to the mental and physical ability to appreciate the beauty of nature. To have health, and a day of rest, helps one to feel full appreciation for the natural world.
The reference to the "pomp of emperors" is equally straightforward: the posh trappings of materialism are nothing compared to the riches of the natural world. All the crown jewels in the world would not compare to the glistening sun. Materialistic items commonly thought of as "beautiful" seem "ridiculous" compared to the wonders of nature. Emerson also suggests that it would be ridiculous to place a higher value on material items than on the natural world's beautiful bounty.
"The visible world and the relation of its parts, is the dial plate of the invisible."
In Nature, Emerson becomes mystical in parts. One of those parts comes when he writes, "Parts of speech are metaphors, because the whole of nature is a metaphor of the human mind." After this, the author places in quotation marks the line, "The visible world and the relation of its parts, is the dial plate of the invisible." The visible world is the manifest universe — the things we see such as flower, sky, and tree. The relation of its parts refers to how these things relate to one another, on both a practical and spiritual level. On a practical level, the sun and the plant certainly do interact in the process of photosynthesis. On a spiritual level, the world of the invisible precedes the world of the manifest.
This is a neo-Platonic worldview, rooted in Plato's concept of the forms. The forms are the ideas or archetypes that reside in the invisible world, which is every bit as real — if not more real — than the physical world.
"A man is a god in ruins."
The symbol of the fallen god is central to Western religious traditions; the devil, for instance, is a Christian representation of a fallen angel. Here, Emerson invokes the concept of a god who has fallen into ruin — a unique perspective for someone working within the Christian tradition, and one that aligns him more with a polytheistic faith than a monotheistic one.
Moreover, Emerson refers to the human condition as one of wasted potential. If human beings can rediscover their "innocence," they will reclaim their godly status. Emerson also suggests that human beings have the potential to achieve immortality by remembering their divine heritage. Referring to the Christian tradition, he mentions the Messiah, who "pleads" with people to "return to paradise." A human being is a god — but a god who has forgotten how to be divine. This vision is consistent with the broader Transcendentalist belief in the inherent spiritual greatness of the individual.
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers, and divines."
"Warning against conformity and rigid groupthink"
"Critique of derivative, pandering literary culture"
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.