from Walden January 24
From Where I Lived and What I Lived For Henry David Thoreau went to live in the woods outside the town of Concord, MA entirely alone for 2 years “I wished to live deliberately…I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life” (pg. 208) Thoreau wanted not just to go through the motions of life, but to truly live his life and find the meaning of life
From Where I Lived and What I Lived For “to live so sturdily and Spartan-like” (pg. 208_ Thoreau makes reference to the Greek colony of Sparta, who prided themselves on living life to the absolute fullest. meanness (pg. 208): break into its simplest form Thoreau believes that humans live like ants; no real purpose or passion for life, always doing what everyone else is
From Where I Lived and What I Lived For He says not to have hundreds of affairs, only 2 or 3; live a simple life! The work we do as humans is inconsequential (useless) “If I should only give a few pulls at the parish bell-rope, as for a fire…” Thoreau is saying that if he pulled the fire bell everyone would come running, not to help, but to watch the fire burn
From Where I Lived and What I Lived For We read the news, but don’t truly care about the world around us “For my part I could easily do without the post office” (pg. 210) –Thoreau hates the post office because nobody makes any important communications through it, it is irrelevant, it’s a front “I have always been regretting that I was not as wise as the day I was born” (pg.210) Wishes he forget all of the bad he has witnessed in human nature, innocence and ignorance is bliss
From Solitude Thoreau is not lonely in the woods, even though he lives completely by himself. He says that Earth is just one tiny part of space, and there are millions on people just on Earth, so how could he feel lonely when there is so much in our universe to keep him company? You can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely, but he is content with himself and with nature
From The Pond in Winter Perennial: long lasting/enduring Thoreau goes ice-fishing and talks about the utter beauty of nature in winter “heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads…” Heaven is here on Earth in nature, but humans are too busy to see it.
From Spring Thoreau notes the changes in nature from winter to spring, comparing the frozen lake to honey-combs Death is apart of nature, it is evident in the spring when the snow melts Death intrigues and disgusts us, another negative characteristic of humans.
From Conclusion Thoreau leaves the woods because “I had several more lives to live” (pg. 213). His calling in the woods had ended, he felt drawn elsewhere “It is remarkable how easily and insensibly we fall into a particular route, and make a beaten track for ourselves” (pg. 213) Humans are creature of routine, we need it, even though is is senseless When he lived in the woods he walked to and from his shed and his feet made a beaten path, and even years later that path is still evident.
From Conclusion “The surface of the earth is soft and impressible, by the feet of men; and so with that paths which the mind travels” (pg. 213) The human mind is just as impressionable as the ground is Thoreau wants to travel the less beaten path, to create his own path against conformity Thoreau learned that if you set your goals high and then go for them, despite what everyone else is doing, you will be successful He again urges his readers to live simply
From Conclusion Do not worry about materials, just nature and your journey of life You do not need money; poverty allows you to appreciate nature and non- materialistic things ”If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer” (pg. 215) Those who go against conformity simply march to a different drum, they hear their own rhythm and go with it