Sounds

Sounds

1. Natural day is very calm

   • Life itself had become the ammusement not what he had done
     • "Follow your genius closely enough and it will not fail to show you a fresh prospect of reality"
   • Animal sounds are calming. Thoreau relates it to music and chanting
     • Referred to Cows and Birds
     • "Dark and Cheerful side of music, the regrets and signs that would refreign from some"
   • Rejoiced the sounds of nature
   • The sounds are very different between mornings and nights

2. Waking up early gave Thoreau time to do things before anyone had even woken up. It was calm and he could focus.

3. Railroad cars

   • heard sounds of the train coming in a fading away
   • Shows that he is still somewhat connected to society
   • "Sounding like the scream of a hawk sailing over some farmer's farm"
   • The train sound informs Thoreau that merchants or country trader are coming into the town of Concord
   • Compares it to a comet because it may not ever take the same path again
   • The sounds of the railroad refreshes him
     • reminds him of the extend of the globe and foreign places

4. People have become dependent on cars and machinery, that they base their scheduels around it

5. Analysis

   • By isolating himself, Thoreau is able to analyze the sounds of nature in depth
   • Thoreau tries to explain that nature is it's own society, a better one at that
   • He also tells the readers that they sound not only read book but also witness the world around them and observe the beauty of nature
   • The sounds of the railroad contrast with the sounds of nature in that it reminds up that society is still close by. On the other hand nature's sounds help him forget about this