Emerson honestly preferred contemplation over hands-on contact with nature

Evidence

There you have it, in as delicate humor as ever was written. The “pale scholar” is Emerson himself. He is drolly viewing his own estrangement from the intimate contact with nature. He honestly prefers his meditation unmixed with vegetables. He declines to be “drugged by the smell of the plants.” “The genius of reading and gardening are antagonistic,” he says. — Freeman Tilden, Interpreting Our Heritage, 795

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reading purpose theme of observation-as-method; contrasts contemplative versus embodied knowing which runs through the polyad. — connects to: Thoreau and Emerson split over whether concrete detail or ideal beauty deserved attention — Freeman Tilden, Interpreting Our Heritage, 800; Thoreau prized receptive idleness over productive use of leisure — Freeman Tilden, Interpreting Our Heritage, 797; Emerson resented nature as competition with human moral hopes — Freeman Tilden, Interpreting Our Heritage, 811 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Emerson could not understand attention without productive ambition #corroborates (0.72) — Freeman Tilden, Interpreting Our Heritage, 798