Art Of Living By Thoreau Walden Essay

, Research Paper

Thoreau.s Art of Living In Thoreau.s Walden, he explores the art of living

by presenting a dichotomy of sojourning in nature. The life of participating

with nature considers living simply and wisely while cooperating with both its

lowest and highest elements. Thoreau calls for a change in life by changing the

conventional ideas of standard societal views and its participation with the

torpor of the material mass. Throughout Walden, Thoreau delves into his

surroundings, the very specifics of nature while trying to live the ideal life.

Perhaps the main theme and overbearing concept that Thoreau wishes to convey to

the reader both in the conclusion and throughout Walden, is that we must

recognize the great power and potential for new discovery and enjoyment in our

minds. Thus, Thoreau calls for an .ideological revolution to simplification.

in our lives and conveys a paradoxical view that the highest point of living is

the leading of a simple life of a balance between change and solitude. This life

is the art of activity within the art of structural living- a non-instrumental

way of enhancing one.s life through spiritual development and the cultivation

of the mind and body. The purpose for this enhancement is fostering the spirit

in its progress and not marred by material products or social structures. The

spirit involves activity with nature and must not be hindered by material

necessities Kim 2 demanded by society. Such progress is change within oneself,

within one.s mind and soul and ultimately achieved through self-recognition.

It is the recognizing of the self that leads to individualized experiences. This

art requires pure devotion of the individual and the divorce from the boundaries

of business and time. In doing so, the individual experiences a transcended

self, a .elevated piety. and .perennial youth . (211). Thoreau compares

the art of and active life to one of unending youthfulness. He pervades the

importance of the youth as innocent and pure. Such life must not be tainted by

obscurities and the mundane routine of the city life but rather emerged,

submerged in the purest form of existence-nature. Thoreau equates the outdoors

(natural stimuli) with innocence when he states that .every child begins the

world again, to some extent, and loves to stay outdoors. (17). Thoreau mirrors

youthfulness to nature in order to convey a need of constant rebirth into purity

and innocence that leads to a love of the earth. Thoreau provides an example of

a life embracing youthfulness and the active search for change and perfection.

The story of the man from Kouroo is a compelling anecdote for how humans can

transcend time and reduce it to the simple illusion that it is. This passage and

the story of the man as a whole can be taken as a metaphor that Thoreau is

showing us, one which we can apply to our own lives. The art does not

.compromise with time. or with other.s opinions (211). The artist of

Kouroo continuously searches for the perfect stick to make a staff until he

finds that stick. He ignores even his friends. dissuasions and desertions and

perseveres his pursuit to Kim 3 obtain that which will bring purity. Thoreau

states, .Let us settle ourselves and work and wedge our feet downward through

the mud and slush of opinion, and prejudice, and tradition, and delusion, and

appearance. (63). The metaphor that Thoreau gives of the swamp with the hard

bottom serves to show how people can drown and sink in the bog of society.

However, to .settle. is to unsettle oneself from the conventions and ground

feet downward in order to transcend. Although he searches for a simple element

. a stick- the process, the art of living is continual, complex and endearing.

It is his .singleness of purpose. and love for the activity that brings him

a pure art and youthfulness. The active life Associated with the art of living

reveals living one.s life engaging and searching nature without worrying of

limitations. The search of perfection results in a perfect art so unimpeded by

external events. The artist uses pure materials of nature that are not tainted

by the materialistic focus of the world. By employing these pure elements, the

true artist of life brings a new system to take the place of old aged societies

and brings forth a .world with full and fair proportions. (211). This new

world constructed by innocence and purified nature does not age or dies but

rather transcends beyond the torpor and mundane life. Thoreau continues to argue

that living requires loving and meeting life. He calls the reader to change and

cultivate one.s life by turning the old, as one would do with soil. The

constant turning brings forth change of one.s life and mind towards activity.

Thoreau rejects mechanical aids that cloud the consciousness and blinds one of

achieving the purified art of living. He attacks t

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