The Bee by Emily Dickinson reflects the philosophies of Emerson and Thoreau because of its significance on nature. Emerson, a big advocate for nature, was actually very close to Dickinson (or maybe vice versa) (Diehl). In the poem by Dickinson, she regards nature, and the bee, as something very precious. The bee has a "helmet of gold" as Dickinson puts it (Dickinson). She thinks that the bee in a very important thing in nature because, despite the bad reputation it has with its stinger, it has an even better role in society because it goes and pollinates other flowers. Emerson definitely felt something important with nature, and he demonstrated these ideas in his essay "Nature". Dickinson wanted to really be like Emerson in the fact that nature was something individuals could never fully grasp. No matter how hard one tried, trying to fully understand the wonders of the world and the beauty of nature was impossible. I think that Dickinson was similar in thinking like Emerson because she was so influenced by him. They actually met a few times and shared ideas with one another (Diehl).
Dickinson took this idea from Emerson and went with it in her life (Diehl). She often shaped her writing, as seen in The Bee, as something that subtly describes the minute details that mother nature offers us. She wrote about simple things such as the bee, although minor, and portrayed how it was actually important in nature. Trying to imagine life without bees is pretty much impossible. Flowers would not pollinate as much as they do now, and the food chain would just completely collapse without them. I think that there is a point when one can actually over-analyze things... and I am just being honest here, but I think that after all of these blogs, Emerson definitely thought too much about it. Anyway, both Emerson and Thoreau's impact on society was very important, especially back in their day because people wanted answers so bad. They strove for something bigger in their lives, and for them, I think they chose nature because of its natural characteristics and beauty.
Diehl, Joanne Feit. "Emerson, Dickinson, and the Abyss." In Dickinson and the Romantic Imagination. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1981. Quoted as "Emerson, Dickinson, and the Abyss" in Harold Bloom, ed. Emily Dickinson, Bloom's Major Poets. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 1998. (Updated 2007.) Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.
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