Thoreau's View On Nature

Thoreau has a unique perspective on the interworking of the Earth as it comes to nature due to his lifestyle and he brilliantly translate these situations into a human connection. Thoreau wrote in the age of transcendentalism which is greatly reflected by the attention to nature as well as the intertwining of all living things among the Earth. The chapter “Nature” spans a period in which the seasons are changing from the cold bitterness of winter to the blossoming and blooming season of spring. With the change, many comparisons are made between the creation of mankind, the similarities of man to winter and the change that can be visually seen through the spring blossom. Thoreau uses his experience and understanding to create a deeper meaning …show more content…
During this chapter he notices the way in which the sand and clay run from the base for the railroad as the winter comes to an end. This is significant in more than one meaning, but it is most noticeably used to create an elegant picture in which the sand runs out from beneath the snow and begins to form streams flowing down the embankment. These streams start out much larger near the beginning and break into smaller fingerlings as the human body begins as the torso and breaks into arms and legs and finally into the fingers and toes. The connection seen by Thoreau not only ends there here makes connections between the leaves of a palm tree to the veins running through the body. The connections run deeper as Thoreau captures an example of nearly every aspect of the human body to some form of nature, be it a plant or stream. These comparisons show how Thoreau sees the connections and intertwining of humans to the world around and how as the Earth experiences changes in seasons, so do humans. Connections are also seen between humans and the cold seen during the winter along with the changes seen as spring comes …show more content…
This barrier prevents any nature from moving or changing until it begins to melt. During the winter, people are restricted to short trips with limited time outdoors. This is similar to the hibernation experienced by many of the animals such as the squirrels and birds. The beginning of spring is brought about by the melting of snow and ice. As the woods and lakes are reborn from the frigid winter, so are the inhabitants. Thoreau experiences the melting of the ice and snow as a complete transformation, almost as if a new soul has been brought out and the old has begun moving on. This can be seen in his description of the frost leaving the ground as if it has been brought up from beneath similar to how a burrowing animal would rise out of the ground after a long hibernation. As the winter passes and the beginning of spring emerges, the new vegetation brings back memories of the previous summers and awakens a new desire, a fresh spirit in which he can feel reconnected to a living, breathing, and moving nature. The springtime is when Thoreau truly feels as if the rebirthing process affects