Emerson and Thoreau

Discussion of Emerson

Nature as metaphor...

Thoreau and Walden

• For two years (1845-1847) Thoreau lived alone in a cabin he built himself at Walden Pond outside of Concord. His experiences during this time provided him with the material for his masterwork, Walden (1854).
• Condensing his experiences at Walden Pond into one year, Thoreau used the four seasons as a structural framework for the book.
• A unique blend of natural observation, social criticism, and philosophical insight, Walden is now generally regarded as the supreme work of Transcendentalist literature.
• His work has inspired writers, environmentalists, and social and political leaders. It has made generations of readers aware of the possibilities of the human spirit and the limitations of society.

Walden Quotes: What is Thoreau saying? What philosophical elements of Transcendentalism can we pull from these quotes?

Thoreau and "Civil Disobedience"

• Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is a symbolic or ritualistic violation of the law, rather than a rejection of the system as a whole.
• Some condensed quotes

Small Group Work:

• In small groups, each person chooses a quote; as a group discuss the quote. What's it saying?What ideas are presented? What is being said about society? How can we relate?