Probably the most pervasive metaphor throughout Emerson's writings is the image of water. The fluidity of water, its clarity, and its shapeless character seem to have fascinated him. Water has several meanings, all of which relate to basic concepts associated with independence, transcendence, and spiritual insight. In Nature, Emerson asks, "Who looks upon a river in a meditative hour and is not reminded of the flux of all things?" The flowing river not only reminds the thoughtful person of the ongoing flow of time, it is a figure for the passing days of an individual's life. In "The Over-Soul," in which images of water abound, he writes, "Man is a stream whose source is hidden," a statement that emphasizes the mystery he finds in each person.
At other times, he pictures life itself as the river, with the individual person borne along on its current. Such is the idea expressed in "The Over-Soul" when he urges us, "Do not require a description of the countries towards which you sail." This statement, part of a discussion of the impropriety of needing to know what the future will bring, and an exhortation to trust in spiritual guidance, conveys Emerson's sense of life as an adventure. He asks us to take risks and to exercise independent thought and imagination rather than safely follow convention.
