The theme of nature in literary works In his Poetics, Plato contemplates the nature of aesthetics and existence. It posits that for every object and idea in existence, there is an absolute “ideal” that transcends human experience. He further concludes that art, including literature, is an aesthetic representation of real objects and ideas used to better understand their "ideals". In theory, as an object gets closer to the ideal, it also becomes a better subject for the artist. American artists in particular had an invaluable opportunity to explore this area of ​​the Platonic ideal. Because the American continent and its wilderness were largely unsullied by the ravages of civilization, the natural world discovered there by early settlers was much closer to the "ideal" than any where else. elsewhere on Earth. For this reason, nature has become one of the most important subjects in American art, especially literature. Specific examples from American literature, including the works Moby Dick, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Walden, and "To a Waterfowl", can show how American authors explore the ideals of human existence through aesthetic depictions of nature . William Cullen Bryant, known as "the Father" of American poetry, was one of the first artists to capture the essence of American nature and apply it to human experience. In his poem "To the Waterfowl," he uses the example of a waterfowl to better understand human existence In the poem, the waterfowl is depicted as an almost perfect creation and treated with a feeling of respect The first stanza demonstrates this: Where, amidst the dew. which falls, while the skies shine with middle of paper ...... he devotes his devotion to finding the truth in nature He intends to learn from it and make himself vulnerable to it It is clear that Thoreau believes. that nature is close to a Platonic ideal, truth He says that nature holds the "essential facts of life" and, through his writings, he comes closer to nature itself, and therefore to truth. The same is true, in a way, for Twain, Melville and Bryant. This is the key to American literature. If art is truly the representation of an intangible ideal created in the hope of a better understanding of existence, then nature has been the greatest vehicle for art in America. Since the colonization of this continent, American authors have been greatly influenced by a wild, beautiful and almost ideal nature. American literature has therefore made nature its most important and beloved subject...