In both Nature and "The American Scholar," Emerson advances the theory that all language is based on physical images. For him, etymology, the study of the history of words, traces words' meanings back to original concrete pictures and actions. Especially in Nature, he maintains that objects are a kind of language that represents spiritual ideas; objects can be "read" for inspiration and understanding. Hence, it is no surprise to find that Emerson characteristically expresses his ideas in vivid images and metaphors. The most dominant of these include images of water, light and fire, and unity and fragmentation.
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