There is no doubt that nature is beautiful.

In this quote by Emerson, we see his immense appreciation for nature. Emerson describing nature as “immortal,” suggests that nature is everlasting and never decaying. This description creates the impression that nature can never fade and will last forever. However, this notion is not entirely accurate, as we know climate change has significantly impacted the environment, and we now fear we may lose our planet if we do not take action. The idea that nature is "immortal" may lead readers to believe nature will never change and that nothing can destroy it.

“God the Son” and describing nature as being both feminine and masculine. His usage of words such as “intimate” “smooth” “pleasing,” sounds like an individual describing a romantic partner or friend. Not typical words that are commonly used to describe nature. The romanization of nature in this lens, we can conclude, was a tool to symbolize nature's softness. However he further goes on to describe the sublime as also being “grand, rough, dark, terrifying, masculine.” This highlights the dynamic identity that nature holds. And there is so much that we have yet to uncover! This sense of mystery and power of nature is romantic, as just like love we are in for many surprises (mystery)  and often overpowered (power) by numerous waves of emotions we experience.

For instance, when it rains and the skies are gloomy, I tend to feel mellow- life for me slows down, and everything feels still. On the other hand, when the sun is shining and flowers are in bloom, I see life as an adventure. I become more active and upbeat.

At the beginning of this course, we started exploring the concept of nature versus culture. Initially, I found it challenging to complete the chart we were given. However, I later realized that by embracing the idea of romanticizing nature, the process became much clearer and simpler. I concluded that romanticism significantly influences my perception of what nature is. However this romanticization is both harmful and beneficial to the world. Emersons piece reflects the benefits of romanticization, but doing so with clarity and balance.

The benefits of romanticizing nature include:

First, it opens the door to appreciation. As humans, we become more aware of the beauty around us and are encouraged to go out and celebrate all that nature has given us. Two, the appreciation of nature fosters environmental awareness and sensitivity. With our connection to nature, we begin to treat it like our home, protecting it from harm and seeking ways to ensure it thrives.

However, there are negatives to consider as well. We have seen, particularly through the works of Emerson and of John Muir, that nature is often idealized and overly romanticized by particular groups. This idealization can make us delusional about the capacity and power that nature possesses, potentially leading to harmful situations where some may begin to feel as though they are the "chosen ones".

As we have learned throughout our course, the romanticism of nature is a largely western ideal and a privilege. Those from misrepresented communities are often excluded from this romanticization, and many are deemed unworthy of appreciating nature. Indigenous people are particularly affected by this as their homes are not places for us to claim as our own, nor should we exclude them from enjoying nature or dictate how they should celebrate it.

Throughout this course, we have read a multitude of works that use romanticism as a literary tool. William Cornon’s piece “The Trouble with Wilderness” was among the works that uses this tool to artistically and imaginatively describe nature. For instance, within the above quote Cronon uses descriptive phrases such as “the morning dew” and “the rich smells of pine” to further curate a greater sense of  appreciation of nature. This allows for readers including me to feel more emotionally tied and infused by the work. Romanticism is a popular artistic tool, it is characterized by a multitude of all the feel good and happy hormones that keep the audience attached. I as a reader found this to be extremely useful, as a fan of romance based books and films. This literary tool always keeps me coming back for more.

This quote reminded me of one of my favorite childhood books and the movie adaptation of "Anne of Green Gables." In the story, Anne is portrayed as a lover of nature. She romanticizes many aspects of the natural world and is often found talking to trees and the ocean. At first glance, this behavior may seem peculiar, as she puts great effort into ensuring that no animal or plant is harmed. No one discourages her behavior, they simply accept that she is was a little "odd.”

To Anne, nature was her life. She found it difficult to talk to boys and found contentment in being surrounded by nature. To her, this was the only love she needed. This romantic view of nature inspired her to encourage the community to take action and celebrate their land. Here we see the benefits of romanticization, however, Annes action also would lead to some trouble. *spoiler*

Similar to Kolodny’s piece, Cronon acknowledges that the idea of nature being a "virgin" is cruel, particularly concerning Indigenous people. This concept of virginity refers to nature being inhabited and untouched. It relates to the obsession with the notion of nature as pure and pristine. Cronon highlights the cruelty of this concept, urging readers to recognize the harm in depicting nature as a virgin. He warns that this perspective is detrimental to the rightful owners of the land, as it perpetuates the misconception that the land was uninhabited. Cronon would disagree with Kolodny’s and Emerson's take. As Cronon through his work, analyzes the work of authors similar to Kolodny and Emerson, who are romantic writers.

From a very young age, I found great joy in romantic pieces including, movies and books. I spent much of my time watching films set on farms and in rural areas, dreaming of one day being among the characters who lived there. Through media, I developed the notion that nature was a place of great romance. I was a big fan of Jane Austen and adored the movie "Pride and Prejudice." In this film, Jane was characterized as being one with nature, and I thought that was beautiful.

However, as I grew older, I began to realize that the romanticized view of nature portrayed in movies was far from reality. In the real world, the earth is suffering. Rather than living in this illusion of perfection, I became more active in my efforts to protect the environment. I wish that the movies and books I loved depicted the truth about our world. Throughout these works, we see that while romance is a wonderful literary tool, it often obscures the reality of our planet's struggles.

Two things I take away from this quote that is further damaging to the identity of nature. One that nature is seen as being feminine. Here again, we sense romanticism coming back. Where often women are described as being romantic, soft, pure, and pristine. 

The other being that man is only kind to land because of its feminine like characteristics. Here the author touches on the fact that nature itself is often being taken advantage of, similarly to how women are often taken advantage of. We also can deduce that the author is mentioning this to say that man is only kind to nature out of sheer necessity.

Here we see how romanticism can lead to greater harm for nature. Characterizing nature and women as being similar is degrading and unacceptable.

Similarly, many countries have been labeled and referred to as being masculine or feminine. During my travels in Eastern and Northern Africa, I noticed that Egypt was among the countries that are often described in feminine terms. A common phrase there is "Egypt, the mother of the world," which illustrates how the country is feminized and romanticized as being a woman and a mother.

In the context of nature, we frequently hear references to parts of it being described as female. Examples include "Mother Nature" and "Mama Africa." These descriptions arise from the idea that these aspects of nature provide nurture, which is traditionally associated with motherhood.

Similarly, with the sun. Often being described as being feminized as its warmth hugs and allows after us.

All masculine labels are given to things that society has deemed tough and rough. In this case Emerson shows us that nature and the sublime are not masculine.

In Kolodny’s work, we see an example referring to the earth as our mother “the earth is our Mother the land.” (pg. 3). This idea stems from the belief that, like our mothers, the earth provides us with everything we need: water, food, and even shelter. It’s a beautiful and thought-provoking perspective. When the earth dries up, Mother Nature brings us rain, and when it pours down, we seek shelter among her trees and caves. This description emphasizes that, like our mothers, nature is irreplaceable. We depend on her for our survival. This idea is persistent, and we often describe the death of our mother nature.

What did he say?! While reading this for the first time I was shocked by the sexualized description of nature.

For centuries, women’s bodies have always been fantasized about, and sometimes even described as places of paradise. In this quote, the Earth is not only depicted as a paradise, but not just any paradise, it's described as being a having a "virgin" beauty. This description is grotesque.

The author seems to suggest that nature, like a woman, should remain virgin and pure. This concept of “purity" is something we have discussed numerous times in class. Many of the authors, being predominantly male, perpetuated the idea of Earth as a virgin or pure woman/space. This romanticization and fantasization of nature is harmful not only to the environment but also to all women.