Nature

Scaffolded/Short-Answer Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below-bulleted outlines. Over the course of your response, cite details from the essay that serve as examples and support for your ideas.

1. If we see Emerson’s “Nature” as a response to one basic question, that question might be “What is the point of nature?”

• According to Emerson, what is the main point of nature? (topic sentence)
• Of the six uses of nature Emerson explores, which two or three seem the most significant in terms of explaining the primary purpose or use of nature? Use details from the text to support your answer.
• Finally, discuss in your concluding sentence or sentences how the theme of individualism, or self-reliance, that threads through the essay relates to nature and the main point of it, in Emerson’s estimation.

2. At certain moments in “Nature,” Emerson’s arguments take on overtones of European colonialist ideology or thinking. For example, to illustrate what he considers the beauty of “heroic actions” in Chapter 3 (“Beauty”), Emerson opines, “When the bark of Columbus nears the shore of America;--before it, the beach lined with savages, fleeing out of all their huts of cane; the sea behind, and the purple mountains of the Indian Archipelago around, can we separate the man from the living picture?”

• Does Emerson’s essay make it clear that all people can grasp the universal spirit in nature by means of their own reason and intuition, or is such enlightenment only possible for the “right” people? (topic sentence)
• Select two passages in “Nature” that suggest all people can access the universal truths of nature, and two passages that contradict this suggestion. Overall, is Emerson’s position as egalitarian as it initially seems? Why or why not?
• Finally, in your concluding sentence or sentences, reflect on whether you think Emerson’s colonialist attitude jeopardizes the credibility of his essay, or if his main points can be salvaged nevertheless.

3. While Emerson advocated for the appreciation of nature, 19th-century activists like John Muir lobbied for the preservation of wilderness areas. Muir reportedly kept a copy of Emerson’s writings in his pocket and, according to this Atlantic Magazine article, he “helped Americans to reimagine the wild as a sacred place.”

• Do you believe that the wild is a sacred place and America’s natural sites should be preserved? (topic sentence)
• Using details from “Nature,” briefly summarize Emerson’s main belief regarding the value of nature. Next, articulate your position with respect to Emerson’s: do you agree with Emerson’s basic argument? If so, explain why. For example, have you had a personal experience that supports Emerson’s ideas? If not, do you believe that nature is valuable and wild spaces should be preserved? Why or why not?
• Finally, in your concluding sentence or sentences, consider how progress (technological or otherwise) since Emerson’s era has made his ideas about the value of nature more relevant or less relevant.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Throughout “Nature,” Emerson compares science to poetry and contrasts the forms of knowledge these two disciplines provide. In a 3-paragraph essay, explain the differences between science and poetry, according to Emerson. Also, make a case for which discipline Emerson values more highly, and why that is so. Support your ideas and claims with quotes from “Nature.”

2. Write a 5-paragraph essay that interprets one of Walt Whitman’s poems through the lens of transcendentalism. Using Emerson’s “Nature” and scholarly sites or resources of your choosing, identify the key tenets of transcendentalism. Then choose a poem from Whitman’s 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass and read it closely, looking for traces of transcendentalist philosophy. For example, look for language, imagery, or themes that touch on the value of the self, the connection between nature and people, and the presence of a universal spirit. Also, consider any ways in which the poem departs from transcendentalist thinking. Be sure to support your ideas with quotes from the texts you’ve read, and cite the sources you use.

3. To the extent that Emerson’s essay locates the power to discern universal truth within the “Reason” or soul of each individual, we might consider it an expression of an egalitarian philosophy that has potential for feminist applications. Indeed, Emerson basically calls on his readers to throw off the shackles of established knowledge—knowledge bequeathed by patriarchal institutions like the church—and seek truth by and within themselves. In “Nature,” Emerson repeatedly uses the term “man” to refer to the individual, but is there any evidence that by “man” he also means “woman?” Consider, for example, the names of the historical figures he invokes to illustrate his arguments about the beauty of heroic actions or exemplary poetic visions. Moreover, did a 19th-century woman have as much freedom as a man to wander alone through the woods? And what might you make of the fact that, traditionally, nature is often figured as female? Craft an essay of at least five paragraphs that explains whether or not you believe “Nature” supports a feminist interpretation.