Solitude

Solitude, the fifth chapter of Henry David Thoreau’s book, Walden, meticulously explains and depicts the level of peace and contentment Thoreau feels in what society would describe as “solitude,” and Thoreau would describe as the connection between “two minds,” Nature’s and his own.

His purpose throughout the chapter is to enlighten society not only about the misunderstanding and negative connotation that it has toward “seclusion,” but also to glorify Nature, its beauty, and its harmonious ability to comfort and sustain Thoreau. Beginning with the title, Thoreau denounces the general idea that the withdrawal from society would lead to the feeling of being lonesome by providing his personal experiences and comparisons to nature to show his delight in solitude. By titling the chapter “solitude,” he puts a negative and almost pitiful connotation in the reader’s mind. However, by the end of the chapter that the word “solitude,” in Thoreau’s mind might as well have been replaced with the word “liberty” or “serenity.” In achieving his purpose Thoreau, first explains that “solitude is not measured by the miles of space that intervene between a man and his fellows.” However, Thoreau does welcome this distance as he claims “to be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating.” Instead he describes solitude as an opportunity for a person to be “at the mercy of his thoughts.” These same thoughts led Thoreau to question “if the near neighborhood of man was not essential to a serene and healthy life.” While acknowledging that “to be alone was something unpleasant,” Thoreau proves this to be impugnable once he is in the “indescribable innocence and beneficence of Nature.”

Since Thoreau writes in first-person point of view, the chapter and book take on a form that is more personal and journal like, the audience in which Thoreau projects his ideas toward is himself. He writes this piece much like a devotion is written, and in Thoreau’s case, the object of his devotion is his solitude in Nature. However, as his private experiences in Nature are written out, Thoreau does say “you” once in his entire paper. This suggests that his ideas could be addressed to a broad audience.

The tone of the chapter is revealed through the specific diction in Thoreau’s piece. His overall tone toward Nature is seen as majestic and divine. This is evident through his eight references to Roman and Greek mythological gods and instruments. He also personifies the trees by saying “every little pine needle expanded and swelled with sympathy and befriended me.” This quotation describes how Thoreau feels completely fulfilled and empathized with while being in solitude. He goes further to explain that in Nature it is impossible to be really alone. Thoreau states that he is “no more lonely than the Mill Brook, or a weathercock, or the north star, or the south wind, or an April shower, or a January thaw, or the first spider in a new house.” The parallel structure of this sentence gives the reader a mental listing of the plethora of things in Nature that are one of many (bumblebees) or that survive quite perfectly by themselves like the north star. When Thoreau asks to “let me have a draught of undiluted morning air. Morning air!” his repetition and exclamation shoes his satisfaction with his natural surroundings. In aversion to his tone for Nature, Thoreau displays a disgusted and belittling tone toward society in the piece. For example, Thoreau complains by saying “society is commonly too cheap” to give “each other a new taste of that old musty cheese that we are.” These quotations served as foils to the description of nature in their short and direct diction.

Thoreau begins this chapter by saying, “this is a delicious evening, when the whole body is one sense, and imbibes delight through every pore.” He describes his experience in Nature as being a powerful and absorbing, especially when his thoughts are left to transcend in the limitless area of Nature.