Prebilic is an independent author who writes and analyzes children's literature. She holds degrees in psychology and business. In this essay, Prebilic discusses how Emerson's poem embodies his spiritual fundamentals of awakening, transformation, and introspection.

Ralph Waldo Emerson published "The Rhodora" in Poems, the first of two volumes of poetry, in 1847. Well known for his ideas about nature's beauty, influence, and power, Emerson invokes, awakens, and transforms readers to a richer perspective. In fact, this theme of nature as a transforming agent is among the most fundamental concepts of Emerson's works. As Robert Richardson, Jr. explains in Dictionary of Literary Biography, Emerson believed that "the aim and effort of literature . . . give[s] voice to the whole of spiritual nature . . . to record in words the whole life of the world."

The foundation for "The Rhodora" lies in Emerson's belief that nature is a transforming agent. He crafts this...