NATURE, CIRCLES, & THINKERS

Nature centres into balls,
And her proud ephemerals,
Fast to surface and outside,
Scan the profile of the sphere;
Knew they what that signified,
A new genesis were here.

I think that epigraphs are interesting just because I always thought that the title kind of explained itself once you read the rest of the text. But, I guess not. Next time I write a poem, I’m going to write an epigraph to elucidate or justify the title of my poem. :-) Just kidding, or am I.

Anyhow, Emerson’s epigraph is especially interesting because I think that it basically sums up what is meant by the title of his work and pretty much the main point of his text. Emerson’s epigraph elucidates and justifies the title of the text for many reasons.

Take the first line for example. Emerson writes that “nature centres into balls” in his epigraph which parallels nature to circles. He’s saying that nature will always circle itself back around. It takes care of itself, and does not need man to help it.

I didn’t know what “ephemerals” meant, so I looked it up and it means either: “Lasting for a markedly brief time” OR “Living or lasting only for a day, as certain plants or insects do”

If this is the meaning that Emerson was going for then I think that he meant that nature can replenish herself daily through these “circles”. He’s saying that certain plants and other things in nature and otherwise can live or last for only a day, but through these “proud ephemerals” nature has its own way of surviving and replenishing itself.

Emerson talks about the profile of the sphere and that “they” knew what that signified and that the new genesis were here. He again elucidates the title of his work “Circles” because of what is implied. He says that there is a new genesis which means a new beginning. There is a start of everything and after something dies something begins again which essentially is a CIRCLE! :-)

As a side note, the quote I liked the best from this work is “The key to every man is his thought”. It’s interesting to note that through this time frame of literature and I’m sure in other places as well some of these authors are huge on influencing others to be “thinkers”. They think that being a “thinker” is going to make a person more successful. Being a liberal arts student I would have to agree! :-)