1. Emerson & Thoreau Reading Response

2. Nature
Be prepared to answer the following reading response questions: 2, 4, 6, 9
I’ll be calling on random students for a response. (This will count as participation points.)

3. Emerson Quotes
“To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society.”
“A man is a god in ruins.”
“The civilized man has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet.”
“Books are the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst.”
“In the woods, we return to reason and faith.”

4. Response Choose a quote and complete the following:
Paraphrase the quote.
How does this reflect the beliefs of transcendentalism?
What does the quote tell us about Emerson’s personality and/or values?

5. Self-Reliance
Some main ideas
Self-acceptance
Work to fulfill your destiny
Trust the divine within you
Non-conformity
Actively summarize as we read
When we finish, answer questions 3, 4, 5, 9 using random response
“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do” (Emerson).

6. Walden Thoreau wrote between 1845-1847
He lived alone in a cabin he built himself at Walden Pond
Book is divided into four sections to match the seasons
Main Ideas:
Simplicity
Individualism
Passive resistance to injustice

7. Walden Part 1 Answer these questions using random response.
1. “…a man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone” (254).
2. “…I never got my fingers burned by actual possession” (254).
3. Explain the deal with the farmer on pages
4. According to Thoreau, what’s the most valuable part of a farm?
5. What’s the kind of “crop” Thoreau wants from the land?
6. “I would say to my fellows…as long as possible live free and uncommitted. It makes but little difference whether you are committed to a farm or the county jail” (255).
Do random response for these questions.

8. Walden Part 2 Do the following with a partner on a piece of paper:
1. “I wished to live deliberately…to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life” (257).
2.“Our life is frittered away by detail” (257).
3. Explain the simile Thoreau uses to compare our lives to the German Confederacy.
4. What is his cure for life’s difficulties?
5. Explain his use of verbal irony (i.e., sarcasm) at the top of page 258.

9. Walden Part 3 Respond to these questions independently.
1. What does he mean by castles in the air?
2. What does Thoreau say about the effect of wealth or poverty on your life?
3. List 3 things Thoreau learned from his experience at Walden Pond.

10. Civil Disobedience by Thoreau
Page 262
Practice SQR3
Survey the text (read the background of the text (pg. 253 Historical Context) and read the last paragraph of the text itself
Create your own questions: What’s the main idea of this passage?
Read & Review – as you read, write down his main points/ideas. You should have around sentences.
Recite – write the overall message of the text

11. New England Renaissance Vocabulary
Buoyant – cheerful; not easily depressed
Supersede – to replace in effectiveness or power
Optimist – someone who has a positive attitude
Utopia – a perfect society
Scant – a limited supply; small amount
Sanguine – cheerful or hopeful, especially in times of distress
Protégé – a person under the care of someone interested in his/her career

12. New England Renaissance Vocabulary
Omnipresence – present everywhere at once
Brevity – briefness
Sporadic – happening irregularly
Erudite – very knowledgeable
Expedient – convenient/efficient but possibly immoral
Solace – comfort in times of sadness
Decorum – proper behavior