Walden; Or, Life In The Woods was the first book I chose to read to further my knowledge on my research topic of Environmental Literature. Henry David Thoreau, the author of this book, was a man who viewed nature as his religion. In his words, he wished to “live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and… learn what it had to teach.” He did this by building a small cabin for himself in 1845 on the shores of Walden Pond, outside of Concord, Massachusetts. He lived there for two years, farmed much of his food, observed nature, wrote in his journal about his observations, and fulfilled his own personal definition of being human.
Since the year of it’s original publication in 1854, Walden has offered its readers insight and sparked curiosity about the concepts of human existence, society, government, and human placement in nature. Thoreau did these things by writing in a way that surpassed the complexity and depth of what some people had ever considered in their thoughts before. I found that this book put my thoughts of nature into words that I myself couldn't have phrased better. It offered me insight to look at not just the obvious things in nature, but to admire everything, even as small as an ant hill. Thoreau revolutionized literature that involved nature, and influenced his readers to consider and observe much more of their surroundings, and after reading Walden, I can express my feelings and observations of nature with more eloquence and meaning. 
Anthony,
ReplyDeleteI remember reading this book last year in American Studies, and it does seem to be the perfect choice as a resource for a paper such as you are creating. While I'll be the first to admit it could be quite tedious at times, I also must say I did glean some important incites into the complex relationship humans have with nature. Interestingly enough, Thoreau seems to have many of the same opinions that were voiced by Gary Snyder in "Toward Climax".
I'm curious to see where this book might take your research process as it is more full of insights than of factual information. I wonder where Walden's views of the natural world might take your paper, and what works of literature they might lead you to next. This is an interesting form of environmental literature, but it certainly qualifies as such. Good luck moving forward!