Thoreau-Ktaadn/Journals

Ktaadn and Thoreau's other Journals present a different sort of reflection on nature than previously seen in Walking. While all three of the works make several assertions, Thoreau's philosophy of nature is more scattered and less focused in these journals than in the essay. Ktaadn describes it's author's ascent and trip down the side of a mountain in terms that verge on surreal. It is easy to imagine the breaking point where the fog and Earth collide, or to see the land for miles around as Thoreau describes it. This entry is brimming with Thoreau's clear love of nature, but there is also evidence of a new fear present in it's entries. In one instance, the Earth questions why the walkers are in such a secluded area, and what they hope to gain by venturing so far off the beaten path. The planet is seen as a mass of materials hanging together, with some corners that are to remain untouched. This idea works as a good metaphor for Thoreau's own life-what did he hope to gain by not traversing the "normal" path of existence? Why would he ever veer off the path his parents set for him? Such a sense of introspection is nothing new for Thoreau, but the degree and method with which he questions himself in The Maine Woods Journal is. The subsequent journal entries are more varied, but deal with major life questions in much the same way. A rotting mushroom is examined, plants and animals are compared to people-in other words, there are certain elements one would expect from a piece of nature writing. What surprises are some of the large philosophical questions Thoreau was able to work into his everyday observations. The entry in which men looking through a viewfinder on a hilltop, and see different things, is clearly dealing with an issue larger than trees and birds. There could probably be an entire course built around this singular illustration of human perspectives and insight. It is the use of such simple, everyday beauty that leads Thoreau to capture complex questions concerning human life. My other favorite piece in the journal was the one dealing with native tribes and their descriptions of animal life. Thoreau clearly champions nature and imagination over science in his writing, and this anecdote illustrates his point well. It seems that these writings work as a whole to emphasize one idea- that the unknown was meant to be walked on, or left alone. To Thoreau, this world was never meant to be explained by science, but only to be felt by the human eye and heart.