Walden Chapter 16: The Pond in Winter

Walden Chapter 16: The Pond in Winter

1. Thoreau goes to pond to get water, but has to make his way through the frozen ice.

   • Later, he is joined by a group of fishermen on the pond.
     • He says they are a part of nature like him more than a part of society.
   • He wonders how deep the pond is so he measures it to the bottom with a stone and a cord.

2. During the winter season, people from the village come to the pond to collect ice for the summer.

   • On one occasion a villager fell into the freezing water and Thoreau took him to the house to get warm.
     • Thoreau believes this was a consequence by nature because the people were not admiring the pond for its beauty, but were using it for their own selfish purposes.