English - Walden by Henry David Thoreau Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

English - Walden by Henry David Thoreau - Essay Example Thoreau died of tuberculosis on May 6, 1862 (Lenat, 2007). In an attempt to live life on his own terms and explore his philosophy of self-reliance, simple living and intellectual growth, Thoreau built a primitive cabin on the shore of Walden Pond, situated about a mile from Concord, and lived there from 1845 – 1847: a period of two years and two months. In 1854, Thoreau published ‘Walden,’ an account of his life during that time (Kifer, 2002). ‘Walden’ throbs with Thoreau’s impassioned love for Nature and his exhortation to follow a simple lifestyle, free from the bond of materialism. Walden is Thoreau’s spiritual quest for self-expression. Thoreau urges each man to achieve his full potential for self-expression and identification with God through the exploration of his individual self and shows that union with Nature is the surest path to this goal. Thoreau’s identification with Nature stems from his all-encompassing love for Nature, which is woven into every page of his narrative. To him, Nature is the fount of beauty, joy, companionship, freedom and health. He rises early to lose himself in the beauty of the dawn. Thoreau observes and delights in the minutest details of Nature: even the sound of berry-laden branches breaking off under their own weight. The wealth of detail he lavishes on his description of partridges, loons, owls, hawks, insects and fish and pond ice is characterized by a tenderness which chronicles and cherishes every minute aspect of Nature. A sparrow alighting on his shoulder is considered a badge of honor by him (Winter Animals, 7). His becoming a vegetarian is but a natural offshoot of this love, which leads him to treasure any life, animal or human, and consider this to be a mark of civilization. His keen observation of Nature enables him to make inferences of his visitors by interpreting the sig nificance of bended twigs and dropped flowers. Thoreau’s passionate embrace of Nature is seen in his hunger â€Å"to