Critical Analysis of Henry David Thoreau's "Walking"

660 Words3 Pages
Critical Analysis of Walking by Henry David Thoreau In “Walking,” originally published in 1861, American Transcendentalist, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, essayist and poet David Henry Thoreau vies that there is a correlation concerning civilization and wilderness. Thoreau believes that society has become disconnected with nature and that it is the utmost important thing to merely ‘walk’. Ill-advisedly, Thoreau doesn’t accurately support and backup his argument. His explanation fails to use actual facts and depends more upon unproven claims and sentiments rather than on rational statements and actualities. For that reason, although Thoreau articulates such passion in his paper about walking, he fails to compromise a credible testimonial. Thoreau begins his essay by saying man is an inhabitant or a part and parcel of nature, rather than a member of society. He stresses how vital it is to walk, and talks precisely about how important walking is to him. Thoreau talks about how friends and neighbors are cooped up in offices and shops for months sometimes even years and all the time they are doing that he is out walking. Thoreau is the type of person who could not stand to be cooped up no matter where it is. Thoreau’s favorite place is in the woods particularly somewhere near his home. “How womankind, who are confined to the house still more than men, stand it I do not know; but I have ground to suspect that most of them do not stand it at all” (Thoreau). That is one of the many statements he expresses about his dislike for being cooped up indoors. Thoreau even goes on to say that he walks in the night time. One particular statement where he discusses walking in the night is the following “I appreciate the beauty and the glory of architecture, which itself never turns in, but forever stands out and erect, keeping watch over the slumberers” (Thoreau). Although,
Open Document