Tasks: Walden by Henry David Thoreau
- Apart from the little song, this is a prose text – but it still has a clear lyrical mood. Can you point out some poetical passages in the text?
- The Transcendentalists believed in a harmony between nature and the human soul, can you find examples of this here? (See especially the last paragraph.)
- Why does he make a point of the fact that he has to borrow tools?
- Comment on the little song. (What does it mean that “arts and sciences have taken wings”?)
- “The winter of man’s discontent” is an allusion to Shakespeare’s play Richard III – what does it mean?
- What does it mean to rise to “an ethereal life”, and how can that be achieved, according to Thoreau?
- The following is a famous quote from Henry David Thoreau. What does he really say, and how is it reflected in his own choice of life?
“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer, let him step to the music which he hears, however measured and far away.”
When you think about your future, how important is it for you to earn a lot of money? Is it possible to be a high earner while living in harmony with nature?
- Do you think we live in a materialistic society today?
Living in harmony with nature means scaling down, simplifying, and making sacrifices. What modern comforts would you be willing to sacrifice, and what would you never abandon?
Today, we see examples of people buying small, abandoned farms because they want to live a simple life growing their own food. Do you think this is just a romantic dream, or is it a way of life that as many people as possible should aspire to?
Do you know any examples of people who have broken away from society to set up their own communities in harmony with the principles they believe in? (The examples can be from history, or the present time).
Pick one of the tasks and write a longer text. Remember to make a source list if you use sources.
The Norwegian Tourist Board is making a brochure encouraging people to get out and enjoy Norway's nature. Write a text for the brochure that advertises a specific place or activity.
How can modern people live in harmony with nature? Write a blog entry about the topic.
Is living in harmony with nature really better than city life? Write a text where you discuss this question.
Guoskevaš sisdoallu
Henry David Thoreau was the most prominent representative of the literary movement known as New England Transcendentalism.