How vast and profound is the influence of the subtile powers?
"How vast and profound is the influence of the subtile powers of Heaven and of Earth!" "We seek to perceive them, and we do not see them; we seek to hear them, and we do not hear them; identified with the substance of things, they cannot be separated from them."
What are unimportant and temporary conditions according to Thoreau?
Usually, unimportant and temporary conditions are the events which we allow to cause these moments of awakening. But these conditions are a distraction rather than the spiritual reality itself. Thoreau then says that we are closer to our creator than to his creations, a creator who is not someone to talk with but someone who is directing us.
How does Thoreau describe the forces of nature?
Here Thoreau describes the forces of Nature sympathizing with us, crying, fading, sighing, and putting on morning if -- and this is a huge "if" -- one person should grieve for a just cause.
What is the overall message of Thoreau's solitude?
Thoreau is writing “Solitude” to persuade his audience that living alone in close communion with nature is good for the body, mind, and soul. Using simile, Thoreau compares his serenity to a lake's calm surface and compares the friendliness he feels from Nature to an atmosphere that sustains him.
What is the significance of Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads?
“Heaven is under our feet is well as over our heads.” — another Thoreauvian epigram with multiple layers of meaning. One layer is his ongoing blurring of water and sky — the way he describes one in terms of the other, so that by now water and sky seem like natural counterparts, two faces of the same aesthetic thing.
What is the central idea of Civil Disobedience?
In Civil Disobedience, Thoreau's basic premise is that a higher law than civil law demands the obedience of the individual. Human law and government are subordinate. In cases where the two are at odds with one another, the individual must follow his conscience and, if necessary, disregard human law.
Which state is best overall structure of Walden quizlet?
Which best states the overall structure of Walden? The work describes Thoreau's thoughts over the course of a year spent immersed in the natural world.
Which best describes the purpose of the imagery in this excerpt Walden?
Which best describes the purpose of the "thumb-nail" imagery? It emphasizes Thoreau's belief that people should carefully choose their commitments. Read the excerpt from the "Conclusion" of Walden.
Which of the following people authored the quote and was a transcendentalist who was jailed for not paying a tax that would support war?
In 1846, the writer, Henry David Thoreau, spent a night in jail for not paying his taxes. Thoreau refused to pay money that would support the war that was currently being waged against Mexico.
What was the main aim of the Civil Disobedience Movement What were the main features of the movement?
The Civil Disobedience Movement aimed at the complete refusal of cooperation to the British and hinder the functioning of the government. It also aimed at the refusal to pay taxes, boycotting government institutions and foreign goods. However, Congress had little success in this initiative.
What do you believe is the most important element of civil disobedience?
1 – The first element of civil disobedience is that an offense must be committed consciously and intentionally A distinction can then be made between direct civil disobedience, which requires the action carried out directly to violate a law (as with GMO reapers) and indirect civil disobedience when the norm violated is ...
Why civil disobedience is important?
Civil disobedience is an important part of a democratic country because it is one of the driving factors that allow individuals to exercise their rights to free speech and speak up against an unfair and unjust government and its laws.
What does the last paragraph of Walden mean?
The last paragraph is about John Field, by comparison with Thoreau "a poor man, born to be poor . . . not to rise in this world" — a man impoverished spiritually as well as materially.
How does the progress of the last paragraph of Where I Lived and What I Lived For communicate the main idea?
How does the progress of the last paragraph of "Where I Lived and What I Lived For" communicate the main idea of Walden? A. Just as the paragraph moves from images of the water to those of the earth, Thoreau moves from emotional subjects to more practical subjects.
Which best expresses the meaning of the following aphorism from Section 16 of Thoreau's Walden?
D. Which sentence best expresses the meaning of the following aphorism from Section 16 of Thoreau's Walden? Sec 16: "It is remarkable how easily and insensibly we fall into a particular route, and make a beaten track for ourselves."
How does Thoreau feel about God?
Here in particular, he sees himself as being able, like God, to stand aloof from events going on around him. In a sense, life is like being a theater-goer, who can laugh and cry with the characters or remain indifferent.
What does Thoreau say about the devil?
He also points out that the devil has lots of company ("legion" is found in Mark, and the idea of a crowd probably comes from Milton).
What does Thoreau mean by "if it's hot we long for winter"?
If it is hot, we long for winter, and if it is cold, we long for summer. Thoreau shows here his ability to enjoy the weather he is experiencing rather than longing for some other weather. Thoreau has expressed this riddle of the distance involved in being solitary in "Economy" and will express it again in "Visitors.".
What is Thoreau's sympathy with the fluttering leaves?
Thoreau's "sympathy" with the fluttering leaves is a reverse of the pathetic fallacy -- a common fallacy among the romantics in which inanimate objects are conscious and think like people. A good example is from Wordsworth's "Lines Written in the Early Spring": And 'tis my faith that every flower.
How long did Thoreau think Old Parr lived?
Old Parr was supposed to have lived 152 years, but the claim is doubted. Thoreau's own solution to good health is not through the taking of medicines (Hygeia) but through fresh morning air, which like mana can not be kept, and a healthy attitude towards life (Hebe). This is my own attitude towards good health as well.
Is solitude measured by the miles of space?
A man thinking or working is always alone, let him be where he will. Solitude is not measured by the miles of space that intervene between a man and his fellows. The really diligent student in one of the crowded hives of Cambridge College is as solitary as a dervish in the desert.