Walden Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Thoreau, among the most heralded writers of the North American continent, may have lived on his little as possible, but the grandeur of his writing style suggest quite the opposite. This does coincide with a key part of Transcendentalism - putting matters of the mind and spirit far above any materialistic preference. Chapter 5 of Thoreau’s memoir Walden explains his reasonings for isolation through several rhetorical strategies that emphasize the splendor of aloneness and nature. The opening paragraph is an incredibly vivid account of nights spent by “the stony shore” of Walden Pond. His description of the animals around the pond, the cool temperature, and the gentle sounds of lapping waves and rustling leaves all serve to remove the idea that nature is a wild and unkempt world of its own, and instead makes it seem much more serene and graceful. Any who thought of Thoreau as an insane outdoorsmen may have even found themselves repulsed by the monotony and constant bustle of city life and longing for the serenity felt by Thoreau. This

In an odd twist, he even challenges the fact that is isolated with the quote “What sort of space is that which separates a man from his fellows and makes him solitary?” By challenging the distance required to call someone “solitary,” Thoreau argues that he is not all on his own but is instead slightly distanced from the rest of the world. He states that physical proximity does not equate to mental proximity. “ No exertion of the legs can bring two minds much nearer to one another” is how he states it, and so he believed that his books and papers were just as effective as face-to-face communication in spreading his message. Though that idea may be debatable, by refuting the space between his cabin on Walden Pond and the rest of society Thoreau puts himself closer to the audience than they may have previously thought he