For Emerson and Whitman, nature is much more than simply the trees that line the road, or even the flowers that rest beautifully inside the vase. Both men find such profound harmony and value in nature, in a way that is very relevant to the transcendental theories they each express. In “Nature” and “Self-Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson and in “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman, nature can also be considered in a spiritual light. Both men understand nature as a teacher who, when understood in the right perspective, can illuminate the divine order of life and the qualities of the individual self. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayEmerson finds essential knowledge in nature; in many ways nature is a tool for truly understanding life: “All science has one purpose, namely to find a theory of nature” (215). Emerson here suggests that nature holds an ultimate truth. He explains, “We have theories about races and function, but it is not yet a remote approximation to an idea of ​​creation” (215). With all the things that science has been able to explain, we still do not have an explanation for the essence of the creation of life. Nature is the supreme example of life itself, and learning from nature can reveal the truth about life's big questions. Emerson understands this and asks: “Why should we not have a poetry and a philosophy based on intuition and not on tradition, and a religion by revelation to us and not their history? (214). Similarly, as Whitman observes an ox relaxing in the shade, he wonders, “what is it/ that you express in your eyes?/ It seems to me more than all the prints I have read in my life” (1338). Both Emerson and Whitman advocate the idea of ​​learning for yourself, and the best way to do this is not to imitate others from the past but to tap into the new thoughts of today that unfold in the very nature around us. Emerson points out, “The man is timid and apologetic… He dares not say 'I think,' I am,' but quotes some saint or sage” (278). Critical of this, Emerson uses nature to demonstrate that this is not the way people should think in order to properly participate and progress in life. He explains: “These roses under my window do not refer to the previous roses or the best ones; I am for what I am; they exist with God today” (278). Likewise, Whitman emphasizes that he “possesses the goods of the earth and the sun” (32) and that he “no longer takes things second or third hand, nor looks through/the eyes of the dead” (34-35). Both men ultimately feel that it is vital for humans to connect with the divine order of the universe found in nature to understand one's place in nature and the essential knowledge of life itself. Emerson points out, “He cannot be happy and strong until he too lives with nature in the present, above time” (278). A true connection with nature is linked to the way one perceives, since one can only understand the divine order of nature if one can observe and participate in nature with an impartial perspective. Emerson says: “Few grown people can see nature. Most people don't see the sun. At least they have a very superficial view” (216). Emerson suggests that most people's perspectives are contorted by preconceived ideas and notions about the world around them. To learn from nature you need to be open to experiencing it in a way that reflects your intuition. Emerson offers the metaphor: “The sun lights only the eye of man, but shines in the eyes and heart of the child” (216). A child has.