<P> "Nature" is an essay written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, and published by James Munroe and Company in 1836 . In the essay Emerson put forth the foundation of transcendentalism, a belief system that espouses a non-traditional appreciation of nature . Transcendentalism suggests that the divine, or God, suffuses nature, and suggests that reality can be understood by studying nature . Emerson's visit to the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris inspired a set of lectures he later delivered in Boston which were then published . </P> <P> Within the essay, Emerson divides nature into four usages: Commodity, Beauty, Language and Discipline . These distinctions define the ways by which humans use nature for their basic needs, their desire for delight, their communication with one another and their understanding of the world . Emerson followed the success of "Nature" with a speech, "The American Scholar", which together with his previous lectures laid the foundation for transcendentalism and his literary career . </P>

What is the main point of emerson's nature