Question

Analyze how imagery contributes to the meaning and style in this excerpt from Thoreau’s book, Walden. Cite evidence from the text to support your response.
This small lake was of most value as a neighbor in the intervals of a gentle rain-storm in August, when, both air and water being perfectly still, but the sky overcast, mid-afternoon had all the serenity of evening, and the wood thrush sang around, and was heard from shore to shore. A lake like this is never smoother than at such a time; and the clear portion of the air above it being, shallow and darkened by clouds, the water, full of light and reflections, becomes a lower heaven itself so much the more important. From a hill-top near by, where the wood had been recently cut off, there was a pleasing vista southward across the pond, through a wide indentation in the hills which form the shore there, where their opposite sides sloping toward each other suggested a stream flowing out in that direction through a wooded valley, but stream there was none. That way I looked between and over the near green hills to some distant and higher ones in the horizon, tinged with blue.

Answer 1

Thoreau's Walden is about nature and its superiority to the civilized world. Hence his imagery implies the authenticity and vividness of nature, as opposed to the superficial and artificial edifice of humanity and civilization. Imagery appeals to human senses, and the reader gets a feeling that the described phenomenon can be touched, heard, seen, smelled - which conveys a colorful and profound view of nature, as something that is far from mere abstraction. Nature is, in fact, a genuine part of us that we can immerse in and enjoy with the whole of our being. For example, "the wood thrush sang around, and was heard from shore to shore" is an auditory imagery - we can almost hear the thrush's song and its echoing. A visual imagery can be seen in "shallow and darkened by clouds, the water, full of light and reflections" - there are nuances of colors and meanings in this passage, which imply the ever changing and ever evolving nature of the landscape, which seems to have a life of its own.

Answer 2

Thoreau’s writing style is reflective and includes vivid descriptions based on his keen observations of nature. He uses detailed imagery as well as metaphors, such as when he compares the calm lake to heaven, to describe the setting of Walden. The use of imagery and metaphors helps to highlight nature’s beauty, deepen the meaning of the text, and emphasize how important nature is to humanity. -Plato curriculum