Question

excerpt from nature
by ralph waldo emerson
chapter 1 - nature
to go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society. i am not solitary whilst i read and write, though nobody is with me. but if a man would be alone, let him look at the stars. the rays that come from those heavenly worlds will separate between him and what he touches. one might think the atmosphere was made transparent with this design, to give man, in the heavenly bodies, the perpetual presence of the sublime. seen in the streets of cities, how great they are! if the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of god which had been shown! but every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile.
the stars awaken a certain reverence, because though always present, they are inaccessible; but all natural objects make a kindred impression, when the mind is open to their influence. nature never wears a mean appearance. neither does the wisest man extort her secret, and lose his curiosity by finding out all her perfection. nature never became a toy to a
what attitude toward the stars does emerson express in the first paragraph of chapter 1 of nature?

• he feels that they are impossible to understand.
• he feels that looking at them makes one mournful.
• he feels that they should only appear occasionally.
• he feels they represent pure, glistening beauty.

Explanation:

Emerson's first paragraph of Nature emphasizes that encountering nature (like the stars) brings a sense of wonder and peace that elevates the observer, stating the presence of the wilderness "makes a difference to our man" and that the stars' beauty "will purify us with their admonishing smile." He frames nature as a source of uplifting, restorative beauty rather than something unknowable, rare, or unapproachable.

Answer:

He feels they represent pure, uplifting beauty