Henry David Thoreau would have been a fine choice for graduation speaker at Loyola University Chicago. While Thoreau held somewhat-conflicting views on civil disobedience, his life philosophy would have certainly spoken to the young Millennials graduating this spring. Thoreau would have spoken about freedom, individuality, and the importance of doing the right thing.
Thoreau would have been a perfect fit for a commencement speech, as they were the target audience of his book. He stated, “Perhaps these pages are more particularly addressed to poor students” (4). He wrote it to get them to realize that there were other ways for them to live their lives than what they had always seen in society.
Thoreau, as an individualist, deeply valued freedom. …show more content…
Thoreau would have likely used that to make the point that the young graduates should not spend their lives working to pay for the next item. He would suggest they live their lives as free people, rather than as slaves chained to their jobs. He would tell them to value their freedom, and live as they each see fit.
Like Thoreau when he left the woods, the graduates would only be at the beginning of their journeys. He could incorporate that into his speech, telling them they have yet to truly live or see. Perhaps he would have told them they were at the beginning of their journeys, saying, “The light which puts out our eyes is darkness to us. Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star” (271).
It is not unreasonable to think Thoreau would perhaps conclude his speech by saying, “Go now onto your path. Live as you see fit, but live well. Live good. Live fully. But most of all, go your own way.” They are words that, though he never spoke them as such, can be taken to heart by all. They are words to live
Thoreau would have been a perfect fit for a commencement speech, as they were the target audience of his book. He stated, “Perhaps these pages are more particularly addressed to poor students” (4). He wrote it to get them to realize that there were other ways for them to live their lives than what they had always seen in society.
Thoreau, as an individualist, deeply valued freedom. …show more content…
Thoreau would have likely used that to make the point that the young graduates should not spend their lives working to pay for the next item. He would suggest they live their lives as free people, rather than as slaves chained to their jobs. He would tell them to value their freedom, and live as they each see fit.
Like Thoreau when he left the woods, the graduates would only be at the beginning of their journeys. He could incorporate that into his speech, telling them they have yet to truly live or see. Perhaps he would have told them they were at the beginning of their journeys, saying, “The light which puts out our eyes is darkness to us. Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star” (271).
It is not unreasonable to think Thoreau would perhaps conclude his speech by saying, “Go now onto your path. Live as you see fit, but live well. Live good. Live fully. But most of all, go your own way.” They are words that, though he never spoke them as such, can be taken to heart by all. They are words to live