The Nightingale: an Idea Of an Importance Of Appreciation in Life

We live in a world where people’s talents are taken for granted. People do not always appreciate what is given to them. However, people have to start appreciating every moment because what is not appreciated will never come back and will be gone forever. In the essay “The Nightingale” by Hans Christian Andersen, he suggests that everything and everyone should be appreciated to the fullest. Appreciation leaves you without regret, fulfilled, and with more respect.

Firstly, appreciation allows you to live without regret. The Emperor of China did not acknowledge that appreciation. When the Emperor had received a package of an artificial nightingale, he stopped appreciating the real bird and just focused on the fake one. Once he focused on the fake one, the other bird had left out of sadness and because he did not feel appreciated. Moreover, the Emperor did not care where the other bird had gone. He even asked himself, “but what made him do that” (Andersen 5). In this passage, Andersen uses dialogue to prove that the Emperor did ask himself where the real nightingale went, but did not go further to find out where it had gone. He had also said, “with a real nightingale no one knows what to expect, but with this artificial bird everything goes according to plan” (Andersen 5). This dialogues proves that he rather stick with the artificial bird. With the artificial bird, there is less worrying and no flying away. That way, the Emperor is sure that the bird will always be in his possession. Furthermore, the Emperor got sick after the artificial bird slowly started braking down. Once the real nightingale came back, he sang to the Emperor and he slowly got better. In fact, the Emperor only started to realize his regret of letting the bird go once he got ill. According to this dialogue said by the Emperor, “You must stay with me always. Sing to me only when you please. I shall break the bird the artificial bird in a thousand pieces” (Andersen 7), it shows the Emperors regret of letting the bird go. Now, he wants the bird to be by his side forever. He wants to start appreciating what he once had. Thus, even though it took a while for the Emperor to appreciate what he had, sometimes something bad has to happen to realize that.

Second, appreciation makes a person feel fulfilled. When the Emperor had read about the nightingale in a book sent by the Emperor of Japan, he right away wanted to find it and see why everyone was obsession over it. Also, he wanted to know why the bird was the best and perhaps, better than him and his palace made out of porcelain with a beautiful garden. Once it was brought back to the palace, the Emperor arranged for the bird to sing in the evening. When it sang, the Emperor was in tears. He was so moved from the nightingale’s beautiful voice. In the passage “I have seen tears in the Emperor’s eyes. Nothing could surpass that. An Emperor’s tears are strangely powerful. I have my reward.” Andersen uses dialogue to express the Emperors happiness. Even though he was being arrogant in the beginning, just before he heard the birds beautiful voice, he saw how amazing his voice was and started appreciating it and felt fulfilled by it. He was so happy that the Emperor wanted to keep he bird in his palace. This bird, made the Emperor happier and more powerful. He even had more people visiting to hear the birds voice. Not to mention, the Emperor of China loved to see his palace glorified by his people and visitors. He loved his palace so much that seeing it filled with people made him even happier. Hence, the bird and the palace filled with people, made the Emperor happy and appreciate every moment.

Thirdly, with appreciation you earn more respect. The Emperor had a bird which brought respect to his kingdom. People that came to visit his palace to see the bird sing, they respected the bird which was automatically respect to the Emperor for finding it and cherishing it. Indeed, in this passage, Andersen uses description to show the Emperors appreciation for his palace:

And the travelers told of it when they came home, and men of learning wrote many books about the town, about the palace, and about the garden. But they did not forget the nightingale. They praised him highest of all, and those who were poets wrote magnificent poems about the nightingale who lived in the forest by the deep sea. These books went all the word over, and some of them came even to the Emperor of China. He sat in his golden chair and read, nodding his head in delight over such glowing descriptions of his city, and palace, and garden. But the nightingale is the best of all. He read it in print.

In this passage, we see how much the Emperor appreciates how others appreciate his palace, his garden, the books written about his palace, and the nightingale. This was a form a respect towards him and made him very happy. His possession and fortune made others respect him. As a matter of fact, without the bird he felt less respected. That is why he tried to find it. To make others respect him and palace more. Therefore, others appreciation to his fortune, the bird, and his palace gave the Emperor respect.

To conclude, the author suggests that everything should be appreciated in life. Appreciation leaves you without regret, fulfilled, and with more respect. In the case of the Emperor in “The Nightingale”, he had people appreciating his effort in keeping the palace together, but people also appreciated him.