The Healing Power Of Nature And Romantic Love

Brielle Giesen

T.R 1130-1245

Final Essay

I. Introduction

Although the Healing Power of Nature may seem to be a long lost remedy from the Native Americans, William Wordsworth, Henry David Thoreau, and Jean Jacques Rousseau see it not as form of medicine, but rather as a state of mind. After a sensible state of mind has been developed, one can only assume their heart will develop next, with enchanting ideas of Romantic Love, which is relevant in the works of Heinrich Heine, John Keats, and William Wordsworth. All of these great philosophers and writers lived in a period of time called the Romantic era. The word, romantic, actually has no real meaning and other romantics would argue for it's different meanings. This is an era where creativity and free expression of emotions dominate. Imperialistic ideas from the previous Enlightenment era were rejected. Let us first discover the Healing Power of Nature as described by William Wordsworth, Henry David Thoreau, and Jean Jacques Rousseau.

Thesis: Although the Healing Power of Nature may seem to be a long lost remedy from the Native Americans, William Wordsworth, Henry David Thoreau, and Jean Jacques Rousseau see it not as form of medicine, but rather as a state of mind. After a sensible state of mind has developed, one can only assume their heart will develop next, with enchanting ideas of Romantic Love, which is relevant in the works of Heinrich Heine, John Keats, and William Wordsworth.

II. The healing Power of nature

A. William Wordsworth, Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey

B. Henry David Thoreau, Walden

C. Jean Jacques Rousseau, On Education

III. Romantic Love

A. Heinrich Heine, Lorely

B. John Keats, Ode to a Grecian Urn

C. William Wordsworth, Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey

IV. Conclusion

After reading and evaluating the works and writings of some of the most influential philosophers of the Romantic era, I can only come to the conclusion that "we are only human." According to the concept of the Healing Power of Nature, romantics wanted to reclaim human freedom by respecting nature and wanted to be at peace with her. They were introspective and the concept of Romantic Love was prevalent in every artist's music, paintings, and writings.

Although the Healing Power of Nature may seem to be a long lost remedy from the Native Americans, Henry David Thoreau, William Wordsworth, and Jean Jacques Rousseau see it not as form of medicine, but rather as a state of mind. After a sensible state of mind has been developed, one can only assume their heart will develop next, with enchanting ideas of Romantic Love, which is relevant in the works of Heinrich Heine, John Keats, and William Wordsworth. All of these great philosophers and writers lived in a period of time called the Romantic era. The word, romantic, actually has no real meaning and other romantics would argue for it's different meanings. This is an era where creativity and free expression of emotions dominate. Imperialistic ideas from the previous Enlightenment era were rejected. Let us first discover the Healing Power of Nature as described by William Wordsworth, Henry David Thoreau, and Jean Jacques Rousseau.

The Healing Power of Nature in this era was not considered medicine or a remedy for any illness one might have. It was the understanding of Mother Nature. The understanding that nature was to be respected as a power rather than neglected and used for human waste. We need to go back to our basic form and rediscover that humans are only creatures endowed with reason, and as creatures, we should not be living our lives pushed by economic necessity, rather by knowing our inner soul and who we are according to nature. Let nature heal your worries and repair your corrupt mind. In Henry David Thoreau's book Walden he goes into the woods to live for two years so that he could live deliberately and renew himself. He goes on to explain the place in which he had built his cabin, where it is tranquil and ones mind is not filled with stories of gossip and so called news. In talking about the news he says

"and if you have learned the history of her crops for an average year, you never need attend to that thing again, unless your speculations are of a merely pecuniary characterÐ'.....Shams and delusions are esteemed for soundest truths, while reality is fictitious. If men would steadily observe realities only, and not allow themselves to be deluded, life to compare it with such things as we know, would be like a fairy taleÐ'...If we respected only what is inevitable and has a right to be, music and poetry would resound along the streets. When we are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanent and absolute existence-that petty fears and petty pleasures are but the shadow of reality."

While on a camping trip with my friends, I was able to see nature in its purest form as

Thoreau describes above. Without the ringing of cell phones or the loud playing music during traffic, or the hustle and bustle of busy people trying not to be late, I was able to realize what nature has given us. We are nothing without Her. Nature is reality. Not having to worry about when and where to be at a certain time or what to wear to fit in, I was able to enjoy the dirt between my toes, the sun warming my face in the morning, and the fresh water cleansing me every time I jumped in. In that moment I realized exactly what Thoreau had meant when he said, " If we respected only what is inevitable and has a right to be." We as humans will come and go in such a short period on this Earth, but nature revives itself again and again and is the only truth, the only reality. As humans we need to let nature revive us as well.

This theory is again relevant in William Wordsworth's poem Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey. In this poem, Wordsworth goes on to describe a time when he was young, and he enjoyed nature, and he remembered every green meadow and every hillside in which brought him such joyous memories as an adult. He is able to think back and realize what wonderful times he had, and this allows him to escape form reality, if only for a short moment. He is able to feel "a presence that disturbs