Tako 1

Gnimdo Tako
Brenda McKenna
Writing 2010
9 May 2016
Gnimdos stroll through the mind of Thoreau: An analysis on Walking
A leisurely stroll in nature can be an invigorating and enlightening activity and although
modern society has given us many great luxuries and advantages it unfortunately has effected the
way we walk in nature and how often we do it. Being able to walk in nature less has a much
deeper impact on us than missing out on an excellent physical exercise. It has also affected our
ability to marvel nature, challenge human understanding, and spiritual strength. In Thoreaus
essay Walking, he uses walking in nature as an analogy of respecting and marveling the might
of nature and the benefits it has on how we understand knowledge and learning and
understanding humankinds place in nature.
The most important thing to understand while reading Walking is what is being
represented when he talks about walking. In a way, he is definitely talking about actual walking
but as the essay progress he changes it to mean a few different ideas. For example, in the Old
Marlboro Way poem in part 1, he talks about walking a walk on some path know as Marlboro
way but by the end of the poem it is apparent that walking on Marlboro road represents life. A
sample from the poem that supports that claim is All over the land, /Which a man could
remember /Till next December, /And read again/in the spring, /After the thawing/You leave your
abode,/You may go round the world/By the old Marlboro Road. The seasons and months
passing in the poem represent the passage of time and the sections about leaving your home and

Tako 2
experiencing the world are all metaphorical explanations of what a person will probably
experience in the normal human lifespan. Another thing that walking represent within the essay
is expressive writing. In part 1, paragraph 19 Thoreau writes I walk out into a nature such as
the old poets, meaning that he uses walking as a means of inspiration to his works. Although
all of these explanations for what walking represents are viable when looking at some parts of
the essay, walking as a symbol for revering nature is the symbol that occurs the most. The very
first sentence where Thoreau writes I WISH TO SPEAK a word for nature, for absolute
Freedom and Wildness, as contrasted with a freedom and Culture merely civil, to regard man
as an inhabitant, or a part and parcel of Nature, explain words in dis quote since he chose to
start the essay in this manner, the most reasonable claim to make is that the reverence for nature
is the central theme of the essay.
Thoreau believes that having the utmost respect for nature can have many benefits in our
lives. One of the benefits he expresses is how we learn and understand knowledge. Being a
critic of modern society, Thoreau often challenged the societal standard of what was seen as
intelligence. Within this essay he uses satirical explanations of words using Latin to illustrate
a point hes trying to make multiple times. One example of this false use of Latin roots is the
following quote, The word is from the Latin villa which together with via, a way, or more
anciently ved and vella, Varro derives from veho, to carry, because the villa is the place to and
from which things are carried. They who got their living by teaming were said vellaturam facere.
Hence, too, the Latin word vilis and our vile, also villain. His explanation of how the word
villiage and villain relate is supposed to be complete nonsense in order to mimic academias
use of overcomplicated words which makes their field of knowledge more esoteric than it needs
to be. This complexity gives the academics a feeling that they know all that needs to be known

Tako 3
and that they have conquered nature. Thoreau doesnt agree with this and mocks scientific
literature with his satire. This ties into the idea of people becoming too arrogant with the
knowledge they gain and not realizing that what they know is only a small piece of what they can
know. As Thoreau illustrates, nature can serve as a reminder of how little we truly know.
Secondly, having a respect for nature can remind us that humans are still a part of nature.
As Thoreau says in the opening line, human beings are parcels of nature and he demonstrates
this in a variety of ways. One way is through the transformation of people to animals. In the
essay, he changes people (usually himself) to animals at seemingly random times to match some
metaphor he is making. For example, Roads are made for horses and men of business. I do not
travel in them I am not in a hurry to get to any tavern I am a good horse to travel. In this
quote Thoreau is saying that he would like to avoid the roads set-up by society that lead to more
towns. However, he says that he is a good horse to further show the interconnectedness people
share with nature. Another way he shows how humans belong with nature is that he gives
examples of how those who return to nature are capable of great things. He tells the story of
Romulus and Remus and says that every state which has risen to eminence have drawn their
nourishment and vigor from a similar wild source. The wild source being nature. He also states
that The civilized nationshave been sustained by the primitive forests meaning both literally
(natural resources being torn down to build the cities) and the figurative meaning which has the
primitive forests being nature. Thoreau thinks that reader should recognize nature as the source
of things, and the more human beings try to distance themselves from that the less noble and
meaningful their lives will become.
Thoreaus walking has a variety of themes and motifs but the most prominent two themes
are on how nature can serve as a tool for the revaluation of knowledge and how an individual

Tako 4
should strive to respect nature. When exploring nature one can exercise both of these principles
and Thoreau illustrates in a very unusual way in this essay. Although this essay can be difficult
to understand it touches on extremely important things about nature that people living in modern
Western society can easily forget. Forgetting about the truth and beauty nature holds can lead to
trouble not just in one life but to a society as a whole. So go on a walk and dont forget that you
too are a parcel of nature.