Solitude

In Henry David Thoreau's Walden, the chapter five of the book, "Solitude," Thoreau states that being alone is indeed beneficial to oneself, counter the popular perception that being alone is unhealthy and that the more sociable we are, the better we are as a person. Rather than being completely isolated or alone in the negative sense, however, nature provides plenty of company when he is by himself in the woods. Thoreau critiques society's insistence that everyone must be act similar to each other in a group setting.
The title of the chapter, "Solitude," elicits a calm and positive mood throughout. People generally have a negative view towards people who choose a life as a hermit and often perceive them to be socially inept. However, by choosing the word "Solitude," Thoreau is able to create a peaceful and contemplative tone, indicating that he is purposely choosing to be alone rather than being left out by a group. For instance, if the title had been "Loneliness," it would have directed the chapter toward a much more melancholy theme.
The audience of this chapter is geared toward Thoreau himself. Writing in first person, he jots down his observations and emotions to express his feelings, free from the cares of other people. Although the audience is towards himself, Thoreau clearly wants people to realize and accept his beliefs that being in the nature, being in solitude, can bring positive benefits to oneself, as he says , "I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude" (Thoreau). He is saying that although he is by himself, he is not truly alone as nature becomes his companion. In contrast, he views society negatively referring to it as "commonly too cheap" (Thoreau).
Thoreau's purpose in writing "Solitude," is to provide a different view towards solitude and to make people appreciate nature. He contrasts solitude with society, describing the former in a positive way and the latter negatively. He says, "To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating" (Thoreau). Although people around Thoreau are concerned about him being lonely in the woods, he does not understand them as nature gives him joy and peace. In contrast, he says of society: "Consider the girls in a factory — never alone, hardly in their dreams" (Thoreau).
Thoreau uses vivid and detailed diction in this chapter. The diction allows the readers to create images in their minds, making it more palpable. In one paragraph he uses "we" many times. The effect of this is to point out that we are doing the same thing collectively, repetitively, conforming to society. "We meet at very short intervals, not having had time to acquire any new value for each other. We meet at meals three times a day, and give each other a new taste of that old musty cheese that we are. We have had to agree on a certain set of rules, called etiquette and politeness, to make this frequent meeting tolerable and that we need not come to open war" (Thoreau).
Thoreau's private experience helped him express himself to the readers. He recorded the pleasant emotions that nature brings him and strongly opposed conforming to societal norms. Although it was his own experience, by writing descriptively about it, he is able to convince the readers the truth of transcendentalism.
I thought "Solitude" was very interesting. Thoreau gave a different insight into being alone and he presented a new idea that I never thought of: that nature can be our companion. Thoreau's theory is appealing as he strongly suggests people to do things the way each individual feels like doing, rather than merely acting in accordance with the society.