Kia-Water
I chose to focus on water for my close readings as Thoreau uses water throughout “Spring” to convey how we as humans go through our own phases. Water has three main phases – solid, liquid and gas. Thoreau focuses on liquid and solid as he described how the pond in Walden freezes and cools as winter is slowly turning into spring.
In the chapter “Spring,” water represents renewal and the passage of time.
- He also reflects on nature and meaning of life
- Particularly the change of seasons between winter and spring
- As winter goes into spring, many changes take place, which Thoreau notes in his writing of Walden
"The phenomena of the year take place every day in a pond on a small scale. every morning, generally speaking, the shallow water is being warmed more rapidly than the deep, though it may not be made so warm after all, and every evening it is being cooled more rapidly until the morning. The day is an epitome of the year." (page 291)
Thoreau discusses the way the seasons change and how the pond freezes and melts.
- He refers to the pond near his home as a “The phenomena of the year take place everyday in a pond on a small scale” (page 291)
- Referencing water in its different phases as a reflection of life itself because we as people also have our own phases of life. Not only age wise, but in other ways. Times when we are in love, when we are not. Times we are grieving, times we are rejoicing.
The change from storm and winter to serene and mild weather, from dark and sluggish hours to bright and elastic one. is a memorable crisis which all things proclaim... I looked out the window, and lo! Where yesterday was cold and gray ice there lay the transparent pond already calm and full of hope as a summer evening, reflecting a summer evening sky in its bosom, though none was visible overhead, as if it had intelligence with some remote horizon. (Page 301)
- Thoreau is noticing the quick changes of nature. He notes that while the world is changing with the seasons and outdoors, the people can also reflect on those changes as well as changes within oneself
- He measures time by nature while simultaneously measuring nature by time
- Thoreau takes two separate entities and makes them the same
Thoreau was only there for two years, therefore experiencing eight seasons
- He was able to gain insights into the human condition and how we are not as far removed from nature as many people seem to think
- Thoreau seemed to connect the humans to nature and its changes.
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