"Sounds"

Thoreau listens to nature in his piece "Sounds" and ultimately learns and comes to conclusions about society and thought because of these sounds that he hears. His purpose that one should follow nature is supported by the fact that he comes to his conclusions through sounds in nature, additionally it supports his beleifs that one should not follow manmade things such as trains and commerce, and that those things corrupt the natural order in the world.

Thoreau has more than one purpose in his piece sounds. By using his personal experience of hearing sounds and then interpreting them in order to support his beliefs shows that one can learn so much from nature. His personal experience proves his belief correct. Thoreau says, "What is the course of history or philosophy, or poetry, no matter how well selected, or the best society, or the most admirable routing of life, compared with the discipline of looking always at what is to be seen?" In saying this he is stating his purpose and prompting the reader not just to read things, but to experience them and interpret the information they take in. Additionally Thoreau uses his experience sounds in his natural habitat to coney his opinions on manmade objects and commerce. Thoreau makes it very obvious that he views manmade objects and commerce and evil which is a contrast to how he view nature. This view is displayed through his diction. First off, the train interrupts his calm day. They countryman's whistle "screams." But, that isn't even the worst of it. When speaking of the engine of the train he says, "as if this traveling demigod, this cloud compeller would ere long to take the sunset sky for the lively of his train; when i hear the iron horse make the hills echo with his snort like thunder, shaking the earth with his feet, and breathing fire and smoke from his nostrils (what kind of winged horse or fiery dragon they will put into the new Mythology I don't know)." He is using his private experience of sounds of the train cutting through his silence to show how the evil train cuts through society destorying the natural godlike order of things. He again uses diction to call commerce evil. He first discusses the restlessness of businessmen, and states that enterprise is not innocent. He uses a relgious reference when saying of commerce, "It does not clasp its hands and pray to Jupiter." Thoreau futhers his argument by using Rogerian argument, and discussing the benefits of trains and commmerce to farmers, but leaves the reader with an overall negative impression of trains and commerce.

Thoreau's tone which is admiring toward nature, and critical toward commerce assists in conveying his purpose. Not only does he use positive godlike diction towards nature, and negative evil diction when talking about commerce, but he also makes certain direct statements or poses questions to readers, as if to advise them to love nature and dislike commerce. At the very beginning of this piece he questions readers saying, "Will you be a reader, a student merely, or a seer?" In doing so, he is asking them if they will see nature as they should. Twice he exclaims, "If the enterprise were as innocent as it is early!" This aside statement is seperate from his other thoughts, giving this statement a punch and enforcing the message of the corruption of enterprise. Lastly Thoreau directly tells the reader, "Every path but your own is the path of fate. Keep your own track, then." In doing so, he is almost subtly hinting that the railroad track is not right because it is not your own, and therefore you should not keep to it.

Thoreau is telling society in general to follow nature and interpret it, instead of living in the restless world of commerce and enterprise. However, this chapter is directed toward an educated audience. This is evident because at the very beginning of this chapter he is telling people not just to read, which suggests they are educated and are reading for a purpose in the first place. Additionally , he says, "We are all educated thus to be sons of Tell." This is saying that we are educated in order to be heroes and made smart decisions, and he is prompting the educated audience to make these right decisions. Also, Thoreau references war heroes, Greek mythology, native american tribes, and historical events and one must be educated to a certain extent to know and understand these references. Thoreau wants society, and particularly educated smart people to follow the natural order of things, instead of participating in the "evils" of manmade goods, enterprise, and commerce.

Thoreau uses sounds he hears in nature to prove his point that one can learn from nature, along with showing his negative view on manmade goods, enterprise, and commerce. The fact that the title of his piece is "Sounds" causes the reader to look for sounds and really adds a logical appeal to his piece, because his personal experience of sounds backs up his argument. Thoreau's purpose is clearly conveyed through his experience of hearing sounds in nature.