"In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can happen to me in life, - no misfortune, no calamity (leaving my eyes), that nature cannot repair. Standing on the bare earth, - with my head bathed in the crisp air and raised in infinite space, - all petty selfishness vanishes, I become a transparent eyeball in which I see everything circular, I am a part or particle of God." -Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature (1836) In his essay "Nature", Ralph Waldo Emerson describes man's relationship with nature and with God. At the beginning he describes himself as a "transparent eyeball". In this passage he expresses his opinion that nature is purity. Emerson believes that being in pure nature brings humanity closer to the way God intended life to be. Through nature, man and God are reunited. Emerson begins with the description of someone who has an ideal relationship with nature: "The lover of nature is he whose internal and external senses are still truly adapted to each other; who has retained the spirit of from childhood until adulthood." Emerson is saying that man needs to retain the wonder of nature, a quality often lost as we age. People are too distracted by petty conflicts that, in Emerson's eyes, are ultimately insignificant. Emerson states that “In the woods we return to reason and faith.” He is saying that when we are separated from human civilization we are pure. Without distractions, we are able to see the world as it is most true. The world is how we, as individuals, choose to believe in it (hence, faith). Man came from nature; to see the truth we must be in a place that is not corrupted by humanity. Man returns to a simpler place and so he can... middle of paper... in pure nature the flame of spirituality is rekindled. The person is in a virtual Eden. Since man can see everything, it seems logical that he can then define it however he likes (Emerson implies this later in the essay). Therefore man can also define himself. Man can create his own world in the world created for him. Unfortunately, this could lead back to the corrupt society that Emerson condemns. Nature is the medium through which God and humanity can fully reunite. Emerson's enlightenment in the woods and his appreciation of natural beauty are quite profound. Reconnecting to the innocence, beauty, and purity of nature, Emerson had a revelation. He found himself closer to God. Perhaps Emerson is trying to persuade us to foster a greater respect for the natural world? He appears to be unhappy with the "culturization" of the wilderness.