Title: Living in the Moment: Thoreau's Perspective

638 Words2 Pages

Title: “Where I lived, and What I lived for”
Author: Henry David Thoreau
Argument: People must live in the moment because time cannot be controlled; forget about the commits, live with what is in right in front of you

Life is precious so one should not live life with regrets. Judgement is always going to exist. There is always someone out there that is going to do better, that is going to accomplish more. Henry David Thoreau wrote a story titled, “Where I lived, and what I lived for,” and he argues that people must live in the moment, because time cannot be controlled; forget about the commits and live with what is right in front of you. He uses zeugma when he describes how many meals a day people should eat, “Instead of three meals a …show more content…

People get caught up with what others are doing through social media. His use of zeugma, by not repeating the words eat and dishes, creates an artistic effect on his writing. It makes his writing more interesting because he isn’t repeating a phrase twice, instead he wants his readers to infer what he is trying to say. In addition Thoreau uses an allusion when he mentions God, “For most men, it appears to me, are in a strange uncertainty about it, whether it is of the devil or of God, and have somewhat hastily concluded that it is the chief end of man here to “glorify God and enjoy him forever” (Thoreau 1). Life and God can relate to each other in many ways. Some people believe in afterlife with God. However, Thoreau mentions that many people are confused about life and don’t know if they should live life to their fullest whether they believe in God or not. Through the use of his allusion he doesn’t need to explain who God is, it should already be made known by the reader. He is simplifying this complex idea, creating a more direct connotation, causing people to relate to his idea, and bringing in touching emotions. Furthermore the author adds in a symbol, “And if railroads are not built, how shall we get to heaven in season?...We do not

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