1. HENRY DAVID THOREAU “I WENT TO THE WOODS BECAUSE I WISHED TO LIVE DELIBERATELY…”

2. A FEW FACTS ABOUT THOREAU Born in 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts. Attended Harvard and then got a job as a school teacher. He resigned 2 weeks later because he refused to whip a student. Lived with Emerson and his family for a few years. Lived in a house on Walden Pond near Concord. Moved back with his parents and remained there until his untimely, early death at age 44 from tuberculosis. Most notable works: Civil Disobedience and Walden

3. PLEASE HIGHLIGHT THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES FROM WALDEN BY THOREAU (PAGE 94 IN TEXTBOOK) From Chapter II: “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For” Begin at “I went to the woods because I wished to live…” (second column page 98) End at “…they may sometimes get up again.” (top of second column page 99) From XVIII. Conclusion: Begin at “I left the woods for as good a reason as I went there.” (page 103, second column) End at “Now put the foundations under them.” (page 104, first column)

4. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER 1. Based on the first paragraph (“I went to the woods…”), what do you think Thoreau hopes to discover by spending time in solitude surrounded by nature? 2. Thoreau makes a generalization that most people are uncertain about the meaning of life and hastily conclude that it is to glorify God. What implicit (implied, understood) understanding is Thoreau making by questioning this generalization? 3. How would Thoreau view our fast-paced, technology-driven lives? Use textual evidence to support your answer. 4. (At the time Thoreau is writing this, Germany was not yet a unified nation) Consider the metaphor on page 99 (railroad). Explain the metaphor, and discuss what point you think Thoreau is making.

5. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER 5. Why did Thoreau leave the woods? 6. “I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Considering this quote, do you think this is still possible? “To go confidently in the direction of your dreams…”