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A Comparison of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Beliefs concerning Simplicity, the Value and Potential of Our Soul, and Our Imagination.
Henry David Thoreau tests Ralph Waldo Emerson’s ideas about nature by living at Walden Pond, where he discovers that simplicity in physical aspects brings deepness to our mind, our soul to its fullest potential, and our imagination to be uplifted to change our lives. These two men believe that nature is what forces us not to depend on others’ ideas but to develop our own. Nature is ever changing so we must keep searching for explanations about human life. They feel that nature is the key to knowing all.
Thoreau lives at Walden Pond to find the true meaning of life. He wants to experience things for himself. Thoreau says, "I wanted...to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion" (Thoreau 235). He takes Emerson’s advice who says, "Let us demand our own works and laws and worship" (Emerson 215). Emerson tells how modern generation
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In addition to living simply, both men believe in the value of the soul. If these three things are realized and fulfilled they believed that we can acquire self-actualization. The resources of the soul are immense and go far beyond our highest imagination. Emerson decides not to conform to modern ways, but to be an individual.
Furthermore, in Nature, Emerson says, "Standing on the bare ground - my head bathed by the blithe air and uplifted into infinite space - all mean egotism vanishes. With a free imagination he can see things which others cannot see. Like Emerson, Thoreau also wanted to live a simple life, in order to find deeper meaning in life.
In conclusion, we find that Emerson and Thoreau have similar works in the aspects of simplicity, our soul, and our imagination.
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