Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

I enjoyed this reading because it shared a lot of wisdom with metaphors and comparisons. For example the statement: "is the acorn better than the oak which is its fullness and completion"? First I thought; I don't know, then I visualized a large mighty oak tree with deep driven roots full of wisdom and life experiences, which could withstand most storms of powerful winds, rains, and season changes. Where as the little acorn can be tossed around in heavy winds, eaten or carried by animals and therefore cannot be better than the oak. Then I read about the roses and it making no reference to former roses or to better roses and became confused. Then I remind myself that on the rose stem is prickery thorns that cause pain to touch and I'm drawn to admit that through painful experiences real beauty can develop. For something to come easy isn't as beautiful to share with someone then an item that was very painful and brought successful beauty that you can't keep quiet about. There is just a different energy with earning and gifting.
I agreed with this author and loved the metamorphosis of powers of nature. The horse, fish, bird, and tree all seen as a different type of man. Each with its own strength and weaknesses, friends and enemies, it's course and end. His idea with good there is evil, with affinity is repulsion, and with force there is limitation.
I found the ideal moving with the twofold manner; first the thing then the circumstance. I loved reading: "Punishment is a fruit that unsuspected ripens within the flower of the pleasure which concealed it". This reminded me how we don't think we will be caught at doing something wrong but we had instant pleasure and don't think about the fruit even rotting. If one really thought deep about the circumstances before the pleasure things would be different in a good way.