How Does Thoreau Use Metaphors In Walden

In Walden, Thoreau argues that one must find their true self within nature’s purity and stresses the importance of living in the present and living life to its full potential. Thoreau faces his own mortality in order to come to the conclusion that by living frugally and in appreciation of the natural world, one can fully experience life and thus, becomes one with the nature around him. Throughout Walden, Thoreau argues that one has not truly lived until they have lived in solitude with nature. His use of similes and metaphors comparing nature to components of life and society, clarifies to the reader that in order to find the meaning of life, one must leave behind the materialistic needs of society. Instead, it is crucial that they have a …show more content…
The “nutshell” and “mosquito’s wing” serve as metaphors to compare nature to our societal realities. In this way, he justifies how just as nature disregards the small things, mankind must do the same in order to die and say that they have truly lived. Thoreau then proceeds to point out the distractions in life that we must overlook for the sake of finding our true self in nature. His use of anaphora when he lists the societal distractions, such as “let company come”, “let company go”, “let the bells ring”, “let us not be upset”, “let it whistle”, and “let us settle ourselves”, emphasizes the importance of leaving the distractions of society behind and instead finding peace in nature. Thoreau expands on his use of repetition when he says, “through the mud and slush of opinion”, “through Paris and London”, “through New York and Boston and Concord”, “through church and state”, and “ through poetry and philosophy and religion”. The repetition of “through” and “and” serves to lay emphasis on how one must reject the superficial needs of society and alternatively, search for truth in nature. The metaphor of the “mud and slush of opinion” and the “allusion” of “delusion and appearance” further compares nature to problems in society and how it is imperative that we