Journal 11: Selection from Walden

                  

Journal 11 - Selections from Walden   

Write a summary of the following selections and identify a direct quote that you feel best expresses its main idea.

“Where I Lived and What I Lived For” (232)

            This  story is focused on a man who lives in the woods for two years. He believes that the best way to live life is to live simple and with only the essentials. Essentials including water, shelter, food, and clothing. He had access to water because he lived next to a pond, had shelter from a shed he built, food from things he grew, and money from the goods he sold. He did not have a lot of clothes and whatever he had was simple, and that was all he needed to live his life.

Quote: “To drive life into a corner and reduce it to it’s lowest terms.”

“Sounds” (234)

           

            This paragraph describes how the auther took in nature in his everyday life for entertainment. He listens to the sounds of the day and the sounds of nature and takes them all in. He thinks that instead of involving yourself in society you should involve yourself in the sconces of nature. He finds the scenes of nature amusing and doesn’t need anything else to amuse him. 

Quote: “I had this advantage, at least, in my mode of life, over those who were obliged to look abroad for amusement, to society and the theater, that my life itself was become my amusement and never ceased to be novel.”

“Brute Neighbors” (235)

It shows that ant’s lives are filled with hardship and war, just like humans. The wars are just as violent and ferousious as human war and often similar to the battles of the revolution. This short story relates the animal kingdom to mankind and other glorious warriors.

            Quote: “Looking farther, I was surprised to find that the chips were covered wit hsuch combatants, that it was not a duellum, but a bellum, a war between two races of ants, the red always pitted against the black, and requently two red ones to one black. (235)”

“The Pond in Winter” (237)

What is life all about? The author finds out by going through nature and observing life, discovering the simplicity of it. The fishermen are a good example because they live a simple, non-artificial life. They know that nature still thrives, even in the winter. They know this because they are in touch with nature.

Quote: “But there was a dawning Nature, in whom all creatures live, looking in at my broad windows with serene and satisfied face, and no question on her lips.”

“Spring” (238)

With the beginning of spring, everything starts to change and renew itself. Life is good, and not even death can take it’s tool. All regret should be let fo and forgiven. Fishing can be resumed. He learns this knowledge from an old man who is very wise, and this impresses the him. He ends with the idea of spring because, like spring, he has been re-born as well. He decides he needs to move on with his life and do different things, like nature has seemed to move on after the winter. He doesn’t want to be trapped doing one thing with his life.

Quote: “As every season seems best to us in its turn, so the coming in of spring is like the creation of Cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the Golden Age.”