Thoreau

Some quotes and passages in this rhetoric really resonated with me.  I thought I preferred Emerson, but reading the two works again, I see that Thoreau's philosophy is much more agreeable.  Thoreau's minimalistic and simplistic attitude works well with  the nature he lives in.  His mellow views flow smoothly with his surroundings. Thoreau believes that we should improve our surroundings and not ourselves.  I think he values action and progress more than selfish, personal endeavors.  In a way, it's the opposite of Emerson, who promoted the self and the individual.  Thoreau seemed to be more focused on getting everything out of life and learning from nature.

He writes, "it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look, which morally we can do. To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts" (892). 
 In this quote, he talks about perspective.  He says that we can change how we see the world, and we can make it beautiful according to our own discretion.  Perspective is a powerful thing because it changes meaning and definitions.  It can cause misunderstandings and chaos.  If we could see how beautiful nature is on its own, we probably wouldn't try to change it: "to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue."  We only see how we want to see and not how things are.  That has been the history with mankind.

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...and see if I could not learn what it had to teach , and not, when I came to die, discover I had not lived" ( 892).
Nature breathes on its own.  It's biological processes happen without any machines or any pretenses.  Nature is the best teacher, according to Thoreau.  Our world is overrun with stress that we've created for ourselves.  We tend to focus on money and success more than just living.  Our values have changed over time, so we believe we live to work and do other unnecessary things. Thoreau returned to nature so that he could get to know the basics, what truly mattered.  The woods have always been a place for discovery in literature.  It is where people can get lost amongst the trees.  I guess that's where they get the proverb "can't see the forest for the trees."  I don't think people see the forest, the big picture.  They are too focused on the details.

On the same page, Thoreau mentions simplicity.  His abandoning of material things reminds me of Buddha.  Thoreau's concept coincide with many of the ideas in Buddhism.  His meditation of nature and keeping to only essential things makes Thoreau a very enlightened and free person.  I sense that he is not bound to anything.  He wonders around , and he's okay with that.  His mind is truly free to explore.