# Nature and Transcendence in Poetry

> Theme guide for Poetry by Matthew Arnold.

Nature is portrayed as a source of beauty and solace, yet also indifferent to human suffering; the speaker seeks a transcendent connection with the natural world, though it often remains elusive, as in 'The Youth of Nature' and 'Self-Dependence.'

## Where it surfaces

- [Act I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_16_se/chapters/act-i): Callicles' song offers a vision of transcendence through nature, as Cadmus and Harmonia find peace in the Illyrian hills, contrasting with Empedocles' more austere philosophy.
- [Act II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_16_se/chapters/act-ii): He turns to the elements as his 'friends' and 'willing ministers,' seeking union with the natural world through death.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_16_se/themes/nature_and_transcendence
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_16_se/themes