Henry David Thoreau at Walden

A detailed Summary of Henry David Thoreau at Walden

Henry David Thoreau was a man of simplicity. He was an naturalists and chose to live two years of his life in Walden. Here he lived a life of simplicity and was able to be one with nature. For two years he observed nature from the inside out, and during this time he wrote many essays. He was a firm believer that society required too much time out of a human life, and that people spent too much of their time trying to accumulate material possessions. I believe he wrote Walden to prove just how basic a human life can be.

In the books written by Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglas, they based their ideas on the concepts of Nature. They felt you can learn a lot form nature and experience. In the book written by Thoreau, he also includes the concepts of nature within his ideas. He takes it to the full extent of living as one with nature. He does have a slightly different view on learning from Nature. "We might as well omit the study Nature because she is old". (Thoreau p.66). He does feel that by living in nature a person can learn a lot about himself or herself, but only if they live a life of simplicity.

Thoreau was a disciple of Emerson, and did believe in some of the same ideas

In the chapter "Ecomony", Thoreau believes that the modern economy requires too much time and expenses. He believes that a man pays too much attention to maintaining their need for materialistic items. He says that there are four basic needs of humans, and they are food, shelter, clothing, and fuel. "The necessaries of life for man in this climate may, accurately enough, be distributed under the several heads of Food, Shelter, Clothing, and Fuel; for not till we have secured these are we prepared to entertain the true problems of life with freedom and a prospect of success". (Thoreau p.7). "By proper Shelter and Clothing we legitimately retain our own internal heat; but with an excess of these, or of Fuel, that is, with an external heat greater than our internal, may not said to begin?"(Thoreau p.7). Thoreau also believes you should only make enough money to spend on the basic necessities of life and try to live and cook enough food for him to eat.

as Emerson. Thoreau and Emerson both thought highly of reading. "Books are treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations. Books, the oldest and the best, stand naturally and rightfully on the shelves of every cottage". (Thoreau p.67). Emerson and Thoreau also share some of the same views on the poet. "The works of the great poets have never yet been read by mankind, for only great poets can read them". (Thoreau p.68). The also believe that young children can learn form nature. The should be able to spend time in nature and nature will teach them through their experiences. "They early introduce us to and detain us in scenery with which otherwise, at that age, we should have little acquaintance. Fishermen, hunters, woodchoppers, and others, spending their lives in the fields and woods, in a peculiar sense a part of Nature themselves, are often in a more favorable mood for observing her, in the intervals of their pursuits, than philosophers or poets even, who approach her with expectation. She is not afraid to exhibit herself to them". (Thoreau p.136). " Such is oftenest the young man's introduction to the forest, and the most original part of herself. He goes thither at first as a hunter and fisher, until at last, if he has the seeds of a better life in him, he distinguishes his proper objects, as a poet on naturalist it may be, and leaves the gun and fish-pole behind". (Thoreau p.138).

In the chapter "Sound", Thoreau compares the sounds of the railroad with the sound of nature. He begins by comparing the whistle to the warning of the hawk. "The whistle of the locomotive penetrates my weeks summer and winter, sounding like the scream of a hawk sailing over some farmer's yard, informing me that many restless city merchants are arriving within the circle of the town, or a

Some common words found in the essay are:
Sound Thoreau, Reading Thoreau, Walden Thoreau, Emerson Thoreau, Thoreau's Conclusion, Pilpay Co, David Thoreau, Shelter Clothing, Frederick Douglas, Ecomony Thoreau, thoreau believes, life simplicity, learn form, shelter clothing, shelter clothing fuel, thoreau p136, simplicity simplicity, cloud hang, written thoreau, henry david thoreau, believes animals, learn form nature, thoreau believed, thoreau believes animals, food shelter clothing,

Approximate Word count = 1884
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English