Henry David Thoreau’s Walden Unit Review
Vocabulary: know the part of speech, antonym(s), synonym(s), definitions, and usage of these words found in Walden
Esoteric (p. 80)Transient (p. 107)
Magnanimity (p. 87)Incessantly (p.182)
Provincial (p. 88)Pertinacity (p.183)
Copious (p. 88)Divested (p. 183)
Athwart (p. 91)Pontificate (p. 187)
Fodder (p. 93)Reconnoiter (p.187)
Congenial (p. 103)Tumultuous (p.188)
Misanthrope (p. 104)Henceforth (p. 253)
Perennial (p. 106)Conformity (p. 256)
Remunerate (p. 106)Dissipation (p. 258)
Critical Thinking Study Questions: answer the following questions from Walden.
Chapter 3: Reading
Explain the meaning of the passage (p. 80): “The heroic books, even if printed in the character of our mother tongue, will always be in a language dead to degenerate times; and we must laboriously seek the meaning of each word and line.”
Thoreau accuses village governments of misplacing their spending priorities. What does Thoreau think villages should spend less on? More on?
Chapter 4: Sounds
Explain what Thoreau means when he asks, “Will you be a reader, a student merely, or a seer?”
Describe how Thoreau feels about the sound from the owls or the train passing near his house.
Chapter 5: Solitude
According to his comments in this chapter, was Thoreau lonely at the pond? Why or why not?
What does Thoreau mean by the following comments:
- "I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude."
- "I have a great deal of company in my house; especially in the morning, when nobody calls."
Who are the "old settler" and "elderly dame" whom Thoreau describes as being among his favorite visitors at the pond?
Chapter 12: Brute Neighbors
During this chapter, Thoreau often switches between hermit and poet. Explain in your own words why you think he used this tactic to get his messages across, and what you think he means by poet and hermit.
Chapter 17: Spring
A major theme of this chapter is resurrection, the potential for each person to change his or her priorities and start life anew. Explain how the following serve as symbols of resurrection:
- The thawing sand bank
- The melting ice on Walden Pond
- The influx of light
- Wildness
- The dead horse by the path
Chapter 18: Conclusion
Thoreau encourages readers to be courageous and experiment on their own. Why do you think his focus is on self-realization?
How did Thoreau respond to what his doctor said to him about the change in scenery? What were his views on it?
Describe Thoreau’s reasons for leaving Walden Pond. How are they the same as his reasons for going?