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The Theme Of Nature In The Works Of Plato, Bryant, Twain, And Thoreau - Online Term Paper

The Theme Of Nature In The Works Of Plato, Bryant, Twain, And Thoreau



In his Poetics, Plato contemplates the nature of aesthetics and
existence. He postulates that for every existing object and idea there is
an absolute "ideal" which transcends human experience. He further
concludes that art, including literature, is an aesthetic representation of
real objects and ideas that is used to better understand their "ideals."
In theory, as an object becomes closer ideal it also becomes a better
subject for the artist. American artists in particular have been given an
invaluable opportunity to explore this realm of the Platonic ideal.
Because the American continent and its wilderness was primarily unsullied
by the ravages of civilization, the natural world ...

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father of American
poetry," is one of the earliest artists to capture the essence of nature in
America and apply it to the human experience. In his poem "To A Waterfowl"
he uses the example of a waterfowl to reach a better understanding of human
existence. In the poem, the waterfowl is portrayed as a near-perfect
creation, and it is treated with a sense of reverence. The first stanza
demonstrates this:

Whither, midst falling dew,
While glow the heavens with the last steps of day,
Far, though their rosy depths, dost thou pursue
Thy solitary way?
Though it is not curious that a bird would be flying in the
morning, Cullen presents the fowl in flight as being nearly supernatural.
The bird emerges from the "heavens" almost like an angel and the persona
addresses it in an extremely respectful tone. It can be presumed that the
persona would agree that nature, embodied in the fowl, is close to what
Plato would call an "ideal." Bryant, through his ...

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The Theme Of Nature In The Works Of Plato, Bryant, Twain, And Thoreau. (2004, February 16). Retrieved March 29, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Theme-Nature-Works-Plato-Bryant-Twain/3126
"The Theme Of Nature In The Works Of Plato, Bryant, Twain, And Thoreau." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 16 Feb. 2004. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Theme-Nature-Works-Plato-Bryant-Twain/3126>
"The Theme Of Nature In The Works Of Plato, Bryant, Twain, And Thoreau." Essayworld.com. February 16, 2004. Accessed March 29, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Theme-Nature-Works-Plato-Bryant-Twain/3126.
"The Theme Of Nature In The Works Of Plato, Bryant, Twain, And Thoreau." Essayworld.com. February 16, 2004. Accessed March 29, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Theme-Nature-Works-Plato-Bryant-Twain/3126.
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PAPER DETAILS
Added: 2/16/2004 02:56:36 AM
Category: English
Type: Free Paper
Words: 1113
Pages: 5

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