ipl-logo

Walking Rhetorical Analysis

527 Words3 Pages

Author : H.D. Thoreau was a pioneer of the transcendentalism ideology which strives to return society to a state of nature devoid of industrial features. This idea is often conveyed through Thoreau’s writings; one of which is an essay titled Walking. In order to convey his transcendental ideas in this essay, Thoreau uses rhetorical devices such as similes and repetition to impact the reader more effectively in his essay. Thoreau uses similes in order to convey his message more effectively to the reader. At the end of the essay Thoreau equates politics to smoking by saying”. politics are not, for they are but as the cigar-smoke of a man”. This simile is meant to show how politics are similar to cigar smoke as the smoke is simply something that is meaningless and only there to annoy those around, similar …show more content…

What this simile is talking about is how man is destroying nature to bring forth its innovations, that innovation is innately evil to Thoreau. Since a building would need a surveyor to build it, then a surveyor of darkness for something so evil would be fitting. Thoreau also uses repetition to make his message of wanting to return to a state of nature more clear. In this essay, Thoeau uses the word “man” a lot to show his displeasure with the destruction of nature. Thoreau says “man and his affairs” when referring to the industrial process. He again uses the word “man” when he says, “From a hill I can see civilization and the abodes of man afar”. The word man is clearly being used in an attempt to distance himself from the civilization that he hates, and by repeating this over and over again he cements this idea in the readers minds. The use of rhetorical devices such as similes and repetition in Thoreau’s essay serve to impact the reader in a meaningful way. By comparing one idea or object to another through similes, the essay impacts the reader more as the idea the author is trying to convey becomes more

Show More
Related
259 Words | 2 Pages

Thoreau uses extended metaphors to convey his frustration and disapproval towards the government by comparing man and the government to thoughtless machines. He states that “the mass of men serve the states thus, not as men, but as machines….(Thoreau, 941)” He uses metaphors similar to this one to better get across the loss of individuality of the people and drastic change into uniform and thoughtless machines without a moral compass, for when people become machine-like they act unjust and without acknowledgment of the consequences their actions can have, such as soldiers participating in war (mentioned in paragraph two). This idea of a lack of human individuality and integrity goes against Thoreau’s views on the world at large. Thoreau again

Read More
906 Words | 4 Pages

Thoreau is suggesting that the government is not doing enough for it’s people and the government needs to improve. His proposal of two ideas that contrast each other draw attention to a solution he suggests. Rhetorical strategies in writing help readers better understand an intended message and allow acceptance in opinions by introducing ideas in a creative

Read More
666 Words | 3 Pages

“A living dog is better than a dead lion. Shall a man go and hang himself because he belongs to the race of pygmies, and not be the biggest pygmy that he can? Let every one mind his own business, and endeavor to be what he was made” (217). In this quote, the “living dog" symbolizes modern Americans and the "dead lion," symbolizes the wise ancients. Thoreau is contradicting the belief that modern Americans are less intelligent than men in the past.

Read More
541 Words | 3 Pages

He attacks their way of life believing them to be an, “unwieldy and overgrown establishment, cluttered with furniture, ruined by luxury and heedless expense”. Thoreau goes on to say how they have ruined their country with all the want, and commerce of the world. He later relates our life to the building of the railroads. In some way he says, we do not need the railroad if we would just, “stay home and mind our business”.

Read More
375 Words | 2 Pages

When comparing Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau and The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, it is apparent that Thoreau’s ideas and thoughts distinguished him from his society. Whereas the society’s ideas in Thoreau’s time period tended to lack inspiration, Thoreau’s ideas transcended the societal ideals of the time. Although Thoreau himself did not write The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, the play highlights and expresses Thoreau’s transcendentalist ideas more powerfully than Civil Disobedience because the play elaborates on Thoreau’s passion regarding the notion that living is more than just existing. In the first scene of The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, Lawrence and Lee establish the character of Thoreau

Read More
556 Words | 3 Pages

In this essay, Thoreau challenges the rules and laws instituted within America and feels that citizens must not simply follow the government blindly. In the eulogy, Emerson places emphasis that Thoreau would not conform to society and the ideologies that he held could not be

Read More
820 Words | 4 Pages

By making people ponder on the unjust laws in society Thoreau hopes that it will draw more attention to the matter and convince people to help support the cause. Thoreau utilizes this strategy again to draw people’s attention towards the malfunctioning of the current government. He attended to make people question their attitude towards their government. Thoreau asks “how does it become a man to behave towards this American government today? [He answers], that he cannot without disgrace be associated with it.

Read More
518 Words | 3 Pages

Thoreau also related to the world, imprisoning him when he said: “I found myself suddenly neighbor to the birds; not by having imprisoned one but having caged myself near them”. That makes me think about how Thoreau was given a life to be free or to be caged, just as well as any person does too. You can be the puppet of society and live, how the government tells you to live as or not be the puppet and defy what society has to tell you about life and live as you would want to. A rhetorical device Thoreau used to be logos mixed with pathos to convey the reader to see as he sees such as “live free and uncommitted” that would move a person to think living free is what I want and if it 's uncommitted then I’ll take it in my opinion.

Read More
441 Words | 2 Pages

Furthermore, his use of tone to exemplify his argument is also effective as he condemns people for living rushed, unfulfilled lives for the sake of prosperity and materialistic possessions. When Thoreau says that ”when we are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanent and absolute existence, that petty fears and petty pleasures are but the shadow of the reality,”(279) he employs a critical tone by stating that people are blinded by these petty things that misconstrue

Read More
715 Words | 3 Pages

His appeal to emotion was powerful to the readers, attempting to persuade them about how the government was unfair. A great example of this is when Thoreau mentions the issue of slavery in support for his argument. “I cannot for an instant recognize that political organization as my government which is the slave’s government also” (1018). Here Thoreau is saying how he can’t be ruled by the same government that also allows the cruelty of other human beings.

Read More
929 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout this speech, the audience is experiencing fear and drive to change their lifestyles. In the speech “Got a Meeting? Take a Walk” presented by Nilofer Merchant in 2013 on a TED Talk, she discusses the harmful effects of sitting excessively. Her audience is sitting while hearing this speech and she takes advantage of this information throughout her speech. Merchant strategizes to be able to connect with the audience throughout the entirety of her speech.

Read More
923 Words | 4 Pages

“Men have become the tools of their tools.” -Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau displayed his disapproval and rejection for the ideas of the industrial revolution through his essays by stating that nature was lost by the usage of technology and the industrial revolution caused humans to lose their self identity; this led Thoreau to believe that people had to go back to nature for purification. During Thoreau’s lifetime, he saw many technological advancements, which he believed to be detrimental towards nature. In one of his essays called Walking, Thoreau expands on how and people began lose their self identity and their old lifestyles which had given them their identity.

Read More
470 Words | 2 Pages

Henry David Thoreau especially supported the interaction between man and nature. With his experiment at Walden, he addresses a modern concept known as minimalism, focusing on the way one must supply for himself with his basic necessities. His intentions were not to isolate himself, but moreso to separate himself from a life dependent upon others. Through his actions, he is able to criticise society and many of their needs.

Read More
1159 Words | 5 Pages

Consequently, what Thoreau proposed was simplicity rejecting modern civilization to return to nature and let the individual to develop his/her highest possibilities. Thoreau not only made a critique of the modern society as Emerson did, but also he practiced his ideology: he experienced that life is better without crowd, luxuries and complexity. The transcendentalist poet spent two year close to nature. He lived at Walden Pond where he wrote entire journals recounting his experience. Thoreau is well known for his book “Walden” (1854).

Read More
1273 Words | 6 Pages

Near the beginning of his renowned essay, "Civil Disobedience," Henry David Thoreau appeals to his fellow citizens when he says, "...I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government. " This request serves as a starting point from which the rest of "Civil Disobedience" emerges. Thoreau 's essay is particularly compelling because of its incorporation of rhetorical strategies, including the use of logos, ethos, pathos, purposive discourse, rhetorical competence and identification. I will demonstrate how each of these rhetorical techniques benefit Thoreau 's persuasive argument. Thoreau uses logos throughout his essay to strengthen his argument with reasoning.

Read More

More about Walking Rhetorical Analysis

Open Document