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What Does Henry David Thoreau Mean When So Many Men Go Fishing?

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“Many men go fishing all or their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are really after.” Reading what Henry David Thoreau wrote, made many accusations come to your head. Is he actually talking about men going fishing? Or is there a message behind what he actually said? However the way that you interpret the quote will come from your self-knowledge and the way that you will comprehend what he wrote. In a logical point of view, Henry David Thoreau meant that people go on a journey throughout their lives without knowing their exact destination. Feeling the need of you finding yourself when you go out into this world, only to realize that what you’re searching for is not in front of you but probably you’ve missed you’re opportunity in
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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

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666 Words | 3 Pages

In Walden and Resistance to Civil Government, Henry David Thoreau the author, uses the rhetorical strategies of personification, metaphor, and allusion/symbolism in the chapter “Conclusion” to describe what he learned from his experiment of living in Walden Pond. Thoreau’s main message of what he learned is to be undefined by what’s in front. Without the limits of conformity, humans have the capacity to achieve much greater and beautiful dreams and goals. Conformity is the boundary that doesn’t let individuals reach their great potential. Thoreau uses effective personification to imply the significance of following one’s dreams confidently.

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498 Words | 2 Pages

This expresses the idea that Thoreau also lives a very simple life. Both men are very determined to live their lives in the wild in the simplest way possible. They are not interested in having an excess amount of

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342 Words | 2 Pages

I agree with Henry David Thoreau, because if something you're trying to buy is expensive and you spend a lot of time trying to get the money I think it should be worth the amount of time you put in trying to get it . The reason why I agree with hem is because if you're trying to buy some sneakers and the sneakers is like $160, but you dont have the money and lets say you have to save up certain ammount of money every pay check you get. Lets say you can only safe up 25$ every pay check thats mad hours and you have to work for you to get your pay check to just save up

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1252 Words | 6 Pages

In the fifth paragraph of his essay he writes, “ The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies”, which is an example of an analogy used to compare the men who follow the government to machines. Thoreau is criticizing society for following the government blindly, acting like robots, shadowing a prearranged system without taking the time to think for themselves. In this case, a man is defined as an individual who uses his moral conscience to create his own thoughts and ideas. The author believes that he is serving his community as a real man by considering his integrity and thinking for himself. This metaphor is cleverly used to get readers to ask themselves if they are really just robots following laws and ideals that they don’t truly understand or believe in.

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1458 Words | 6 Pages

“While I enjoy the friendship of the seasons I trust that nothing can make life a burden to me. The gentle rain which waters my beans and keeps me in the house today is not drear and melancholy, but good for me too. ”He compares Mother Nature with humans throughout the chapter, saying that mother nature provides thousand wonderful, beautiful, and interesting things, and fellow human beings seem to be interested in only what they can get out of you and who offer little in exchange. Thoreau feels that, rather than being near the greatest number of people, people must live and work in the place most important to their various

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He argues “most men have learned to read to serve a paltry convenience”, in which he describes “convenience” as being materialistic such as money and trade. I believe Thoreau’s idea on reading is correct.

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 Everyone travels in their own direction, but where that leads them, can only be determined by their own

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899 Words | 4 Pages

" Thoreau is stating how if you want to achieve something you should accomplish it largely on your own and not to just depend on somebody else to give you your success. Thoreau’s writing and Fifth Harmony’s chorus in the song “Who Are You” are very similar as they both point out how relying on yourself can get you much further than if you depend on someone

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689 Words | 3 Pages

First he says “we are determined to be starved before we are hungry.” This shows how people are focused on the future that they forget about the present. Then Thoreau mentions how a farmer has an ear out for the fire alarm to save as much of his farm in case of a fire instead of enjoying his farm. Another man is mentioned on how he takes 30 minute naps and when he wakes up or is awoken, he either sees the news or ask for the news after being awake. The news usually had something violet that happened.

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2013 Words | 9 Pages

The Dream Act Everyone that went to get an education competed for the best grades. This gave them motivation to achieve better results. Each person is equal and given the same opportunity. Having excellent grades in and out on report cards demonstrated their dedication. In the United States they have a simple dream to get an education and enter a top university.

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354 Words | 2 Pages

In “Walden Pond” by Henry David Thoreau, Thoreau advises his fellows about ownership of land by telling them to avoid commitment. There are better uses of money than committing to buying property. 2(b). In “Walden Pond” by Thoreau, Thoreau believe all commitments create restrictions and demands. Committing to something really is not worth the hassle in Thoreau’s eyes.

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578 Words | 3 Pages

Henry David Thoreau was a philosopher, poet, and a very outspoken person about society. He discusses his opinions on how people should live in his essay “Where I Lived and What I Lived For.” Thoreau's philosophy of simplicity and individualism and self-sufficiency poses many dangers for communities as a whole. Although there are many setbacks, his philosophy is, however, still viable today. Thoreau strongly advocates self-sufficiency and individualism in this essay.

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575 Words | 3 Pages

In Walden, written by Henry David Thoreau, the author expresses the immense longing that we, as human beings, need to give up our connection to our ever-growing materialism in order to revert back to self-sufficient happiness. In Walden, the reader is able to infer that Thoreau feels as if we are becoming enslaved by our material possessions, as well as believes that the study of nature should replace and oppose our enslavement, and that we are to “open new channels of thought” by turning our eyes inward and studying ourselves. Thoreau feels that we are becoming enslaved by our material possessions. As stated in the chapter “In the Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”, Thoreau states that “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” (972).

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1285 Words | 6 Pages

Thoreau went to the woods to live and live deliberately. Living deliberately entails living consciously and intentionally. Thoreau’s intent was to live without regret of not living enough. In today’s society the focus is on living through others with a constant need for validation. Thoreau first published this piece of literature in 1854, 164 years

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