Emerson and Thoreau

Emerson and Thoreau

When I start thinking about all the things that make Emerson Emerson and Thoreau Thoreau, I think of transcendentalist ideals. I think of the beauty of nature, wise words of seemingly easy wisdom, and imagery unlike something you would find in today's cheap novel. It's as though (and rightfully so) they came from an ancient time, when there was more to see in the world and things weren't taken for granted. They lived in a time when it was still possible to be a romanticist.

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us - Ralph Waldo Emerson. I've had this quote posted on my wall (no joke) for a few years now. I found it when I was going through this book of scrap booking quotes my mom has and I really liked it. I always thought it was kind of interesting and insightful, but I never really took the time to go through and actually think about it. But recently, I heard this quote at State FFA Convention. Well, actually, it wasn't exactly this quote. It was more along the lines of "remember your past and look to your future, but live in the present." That is pretty much Emerson paraphrased. We can't live in our pasts otherwise we'll never make it into the present. And we can't live in the future because what has happened to our present? It never happened. It's as though a crucial part of our lives never happened if we try to live this way. It reminds me a lot of one of the novels we read this year, The Great Gatsby. In Gatsby, all Jay can think about is trying to live out this one small part of his life forever, the time he was with Daisy. And because he can never stop trying to live this way, he is stuck there forever, with no present and no future.

If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God, which had been shown! But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile. – Ralph Waldo Emerson. When I look at this quote, all I see is beautiful imagery. It tells us how much we take the world for granted. We see the stars and we think, "Oh, stars" But what happens if we only see those stars once in our lifetimes? Our reaction then would be, "How beautiful! Look at God's wonderful creation. I've waited for this moment my whole life." Why do we take them for granted, for surely they are just as beautiful every night? We need to look at things and see the beauty and purpose in them, not just the fact that they