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Henry David Thoreau's Walden Meaning

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“Where have I lived, and what have I lived for?” Henry David Thoreau’s Walden was written about an experiment to remove himself from civilized society and determine what was really significant in life. He would learn more about himself because he would no longer have to commit to a lifestyle he did not care about. Thoreau very much enjoyed his life for the two years that he lived in a cabin beside a pond, and was able to return to his original home with a great story to tell. The internalized joy of life is very evident as Thoreau eagerly waits with an “infinite expectation of the dawn” (line 2). Being engaged wholeheartedly in one’s passions will demonstrate how meaningful a life is when it has purpose. Thoreau’s joy in completing his new cabin deep in the forest is more than the mere happiness to be a first time homeowner, but also a monumental achievement to break away from social standards. To change my own life for my own good is not a bad thing to, but I have only “paint[ed one] particular picture” (line 4) by doing so. Thoreau encourages the reader to inspire change in others by changing the “atmosphere and medium through which” (line 6) we all look through, because the details of the world should be representative of our ideals. And so, “Every man is tasked” (line 7)to carve these …show more content…

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