The Art of the Essayist

Through the personification of commerce Thoreau is able to show that commerce

fluctuates in the same manner as humanity. The adjectives he uses to describe commerce

show that commerce has some of the same tendencies as humans, and Thoreau believes

that it is these tendencies that make commerce so successful.

“who keeps himself more secret than ever did Goffe or Whalley.” (96)

Thoreau is making a historical allusion to William Goffe and Edward Whalley who

were English regicides during the English civil war. They were signers of the death

warrant for Charles I then after his Restoration in 1660 they fled to America for a life of

seclusion in Hadley, Massachusetts. The use of this allusion contributes to Thoreau’s style

because it expresses the remarkable secrecy and remoteness of the old settler’s life. This

also shows the contrasts in this man because Thoreau says he is “most wise and

humorous” (96) but also discusses his almost anti-social tendencies.

“speech is for the convenience of those who

. . .

Chapter 9: The Village

Metonymy

“perhaps my body would find its way home if its master should forsake it.

He also says, “ It is remarkable how long men will believe in the bottomlessness of

a pond without taking the trouble to sound it. ”

(191) In this passage Thoreau tells the reader that he is using the bottomlessness of the

pond as a metaphor for society. Thoreau believes that “big thoughts in big words” (98)

have to “run a course or two”(98) before comprehension is truly possible. ” (221)

For Thoreau, life may be similar to the water in the river, because it flows over

anything in its path, it babbles or communicates with everything it meets, follows many

different directions, continually has something to keep it connected, or on a

transcendental level, it would have no clear beginning or end. ” “Master”

logically connects to Thoreau’s mind or intuition. This is a

paradox because life is impossible if one is dead. Thoreau uses this simile to

achieve a philosophic effect and as the beginning of a metaphor. This metaphor

gives the effect that people often find themselves in unexpected situations, and they may

never suspect their adversary to “play” so well. are hard of hearing” (98)

In this hyperbole Thoreau is exaggerating his proposition that silence and space are

effective tools for communication. Thoreau has no difficulty using the

word “I” in other parts of Walden , but he uses “master” here because in this situation his

mind is separate from his body. Life has become so trivial that, in effect, any hope

of a “real,” meaningful life is dead. The exaggeration that speech is a

convenience for the hard of hearing is a hyperbole because that would be an impossible

situation.

Chapter 19: Conclusion

Paradox

“the dead dry life of society” (221)

Thoreau creates a paradox by using the adjective “dead” to describe life.

Chapter 12: Brute Neighbors

Metaphor

“Suddenly your adversary’s checker disappears beneath the board, and the problem is to

place yours nearest to where his will appear again.

Common topics in this essay:
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Approximate Word count = 842
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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