In this paragraph, Thoreau is describing the solitude he experienced in the woods and paints a picture of the environment in his reader’s heads. He uses the words “dark”, “black”, and “night” to help describe the word solitude in the way that most people view it. Thoreau finds peace and calm in the solitude of the woods whereas others avoid it. He uses those words to connect his audience’s negative view on solitude with his positive one in attempt to change it. He points out that many people may still be afraid of the dark (solitude) or paranoid when within it even though “the witches are all hung, and Christianity and candles have been introduced.”. By using those words, he’s painting a realistic picture of solitude while simultaneously trying