"When we speak of nature in this manner, we have a distinct but most poetical sense in the mind."
He describes the stars as evoking a certain reverence, "because though always present, they are inaccessible."
He is literally speaking of nature in a religious sense, which makes sense because it was Heavenly Father who created this world for us to live in, to enjoy, and to be grateful for. Emerson goes on to say that very few people do not "see" nature. What does this mean? He means that most people only have a superficial appreciation for nature, and take it for granted. It seems that he believes that those who are not truly grateful for the things of nature are not grateful to their Creator for giving us this beautiful world.
(2) So, how are language and nature connected? Emerson goes into more detail in his section on language:
i. Words are signs of natural facts
ii. Particular natural facts are symbols of spiritual facts
iii. Nature is the symbol of the spirit
The second and third ones truly speak to me. I am currently reading The Pearl of Great Price as part of my temple preparation, and these remind me of the verse that says that everything was created spiritually before it was created physically. To me, that is one of the ultimate signs that we do indeed have a Heavenly Father who loves us because he knew all of us, and all of His natural creation, before it was on the earth!
The first one indicates that we can only talk of nature using language. And talking of nature can lead to supernatural facts, as the second and third points indicate. The word "spirit" can mean "wind or transgression" and other definitions.
(3) We combine language and nature in literature. We can use literature as a medium to convey the the spirituality and beauty of nature. It is almost like the counsel we have received today to use technology to further the missionary effort of the Church.
I am glad that you enjoyed reading Emerson. This has been your best blog post so far. I like the connections you make.
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