Question

Emerson-Nature

In the first few sentences he says, “few adults see nature. Most persons do not see the sun.” Explain what he means when he writes, “sees”? How is his usage different from the dictionary definition?

Answer 1

1. To "see", in this context means to have a deep understanding of nature.

2. The dictionary meaning of 'see' is to "perceive visually". Another meaning is "to discern or deduce after reflecting on an information."

Emerson's usage of 'see' in this context, is not to perceive visually, but to have a deep reflection of nature and its meaning.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Ralph Waldo Emerson's text called 'Nature', he revealed that most people were unable to relate with nature. The sun for instance comes out every night but not all person's take out time to admire and reflect on its beauty. People would learn to appreciate the sun more if it came out once in so many years. Stressing further on this, he stated that, "few adults see nature."

Seeing nature in this instance is not just viewing nature with our naked eyes, but reflecting deeply on nature, its importance, meaning, and the lessons we can derive from it.