Nature
Emerson told Americans they did not need Europe's permission to think for themselves, and American literature listened.
essayEnglishmoderateshort · ~1.5h
Influence
6.0/10
Popularity
5.5/10
“I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all.”
Why It Matters
Emerson told Americans they did not need Europe's permission to think for themselves, and American literature listened. This essay launched Transcendentalism and gave writers like Thoreau, Whitman, and Dickinson the philosophical basis to do their own thing. It is the founding document of American intellectual independence.
The 
Take
Personal reviewLove his invigorating outlook on the phenomena of nature, and how he reconciles science and poetry and the unknown
Notable Quotes
“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.”
“Build therefore your own world.”