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Below is a review of Walden by Henry David Thoreau. The main content will be concluded and implicit idea as well as the purpose of author will be discussed, which are followed by my reaction reading it.

Walden by Henry David Thoreau, 1854

  If you dwell near a scenic lake and always drown in the thought of nature, labor as well as the essence of life, you are exactly reading Walden by actions. Although reality does not permit me that luxury, yet the wisdom of Walden does soak into my heart through ink and paper.  

  Initially, the main content of the masterpiece is worth another review. In 1845, Henry David Thoreau built, farmed, read, and wrote at the shore of Walden Pond in Concord, an American town. Three acquaintances of him generally constitute the book. First, Thoreau shows us his acquaintance with his simple but wonderful livelihood, which costs him a drop but brings him enriched mind deep as the lake. Second, how Thoreau goes along with the villagers around is portrayed in order that the honest relationship between people still ripples. Third, Thoreau ‘s contact with wild animals, seasons, and natural environment imbues us with maternal peace and openness of nature.

  More importantly, below the plain words of Walden is the surging truths about life. Given the society sunk in the material flood, Thoreau regrouped his records and diary and finally published Walden in 1854, nine years after his house stood up at the shore of Walden Pond. In a word, it is the philosophy of living a simple but substantial life through labor and nature that Thoreau strives to tell us. To fight and persuade, he set himself an example and argue with solid logic mainly in the front section.To inspire and nurture, his description of primitive life in the rest sections appeals to even the most idle people. He means to leave a buoy for those drowned in the booming hedonism and fetishism.

  The sea never dries up while the true philosophy never becomes out of date. Therefore, the moment I closed the book, I suddenly realized that what echoes with the wave of Walden Pond can also be heard before and after 1854. Looking back, I think Tao Yuan-ming, the pastoral poet in ancient China, would become one of the soulmates of Thoreau. With  pen and hoe in hand, Tao sustained his free life and left hundreds of pastoral poems. So pure is his personality that he is considered the best hermit in China. Thinking about the future, I am convinced that there will be more people visiting or even settling down in the countryside. The pastoral resorts and rural tourism springing up, people have more opportunities to experience the unsophisticated life they learn in the books. In a word, the philosophy of Tao, Thoreau and those longing for rural life are actually identical, which all emphasize a self-sufficient and substantial life.

  Finally, if you obtain basic necessities through honest labor, keep a bond with wild environment, and purify your mind through thought and knowledge, you should know that you are exactly creating your own Walden. Just remember the refreshing water of Walden in lines, settle down with Thoreau and make a dive, leaving the noisy world behind and facing the peace in mind.

2020-06-16

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