Second Thoreau Question

Now that we have almost two dozen responses to the question of what stands out in Walden (see "Comments" to the question in the January 19th posting below), I would like you to consider your readings of Thoreau and his mentor, Emerson. How do you think the ideas of Emerson and Thoreau contributed to the tradition of nature writing in America? What are the specific issues, ideas, concerns, or examples provided by Thoreau and Emerson that led so many subsequent writers to see them as the originators of a new literary genre: nature writing. Some say that American concern for the environment begins with these two Transcendentalists. Others say that no one had written about humans' relations to their surroundings in this way until Emerson and Thoreau began, respectively, thinking about "Nature" and Walden. Offer us 300-400 words that help to explain the link between these two authors and "American nature writing."Due date: February 18 (2/18/09).