As human beings we take everything for granted. We don't think about the struggle that nature endures to blossom into something we may find divine. Nor do we think about the hours and passion a writer might have put into that piece of literature we pick up and read. We are expectant creatures who complain when it's too hot outside, not even thinking that the heat keeps us alive, or we get angry when it rains too much, not appreciating that nature continues to thrive. Ralph Waldo Emerson talks about humans' contempt for nature and how detached we have become in his piece “Nature.” We will take a look at Emerson's views on humanity's lack of compassion and awe for the world around them. It was not uncommon for nature to be a theme that Emerson relied on very frequently. This wasn't because he was a "man, man" who lived in the woods, off the land or anything like that; but because he believed that by being in contact with nature one was also closer to God. At the beginning of “Nature”, Emerson writes “I am not lonely while I read and write, even if no one is with me (Emerson)”. Now, on first reading anyone would assume they are not alone because they have the characters in their reading/writing to accompany them. However, since Emerson believed so passionately in the continuing presence of God, I believe this is what he is referring to. As a transcendentalist, Emerson believed that “God was not remote and unknowable; believers understood God and themselves by looking into their own soul and feeling their connection with nature ("biography of Ralph Waldo Emerson"). world around him. He speaks of the stars as something that... is middle of paper... a relationship between man and God. Whatever we do, God is gracious and will always be present. We may turn our backs on Him, or think we know better, but His love is an eternal, never-ending love. Works Cited Emerson, Ralph. "Nature." emersoncentral. Np, 03 October 2009. Web. 6 December 2013. "Biography of Ralph Waldo Emerson." biography. AE Television Networks, LLC., n.d. Web. 6 Dec 2013. “Industrialization and the Environment.” fubini.swarthmore. Swarthmore College Environmental Studies, February 3, 2003. Web. December 6, 2013. Wilson, Eric. “American Transcendentalism Web.” Transcendentalism-heredity. NP Network. 6 December 2013. .