The final chapter is a rich blend of contemporary references, aphorisms, instructions, rhetorical questions, and parables. If you find a particular Thoreauvian rhetorical stance tedious, just wait a few lines. He begins with the theme of excursion. In case you’ve...
The chapter begins with Thoreau the Scientist and concludes with Thoreau the Philosopher. It’s his foundational pattern. Carefully observe the world and draw conclusions from nature into the realm of human experience. Weave in some Bible,Vedas, botany, architecture,...
In case you’re still unsure what we mean by this whole Walden as Mythology notion, welcome to The Pond in Winter. The first third of the chapter is a lyrical homage to the pond, again, including an experiential morning with Thoreau as he goes out for his morning pail...
This chapter is sort of an integrated sequel to Sounds and Brute Neighbors, set in winter. Winter animals Thoreau would see or hear included fox and their persistent hounds, owl, squirrel, blue jay, chicadee, mice, partridge, wild cat, and rabbit. Deer, bear, and...
Thoreau was an avid student of local history. He scoured records, interviewed elderly residents, and imagined himself an archeologist at “ruins”—foundations, chimney bases, wells, and cellar holes. His friend and first biographer, Sanborn, notes that historically the...
