How Does Henry David Thoreau Use Repetition In Walden

Dale Carnegie once expressed, “Happiness doesn’t depend on any external conditions, it is governed by our mental attitude.” Analyzing this quote, it is crucial to note the underlining theme that happiness, true and genuine happiness, requires a shifting away from conformity and the status quo in order to discover the treasure found in one’s own self. Therefore, finding out who one’s self is mandates a state of solitude which acts like the green pastures by the still waters that restores the soul. However, with its roaring and hungry fire that sends up flutters of red and yellow and orange and white fireflies soaring into the carnivorous night, conflict is the key ingredient in shifting away from acquiescence and society’s present state of affairs.

In the novel Walden, transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau proclaims the importance of recognizing a determined life built from the parameters of society. He declares, “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!” (Thoreau 261). In this quote, Thoreau utilizes the literary device of repetition to emphasize the importance of mastering the skill of not letting the unimportant and insignificant matters infiltrate one’s life and not letting others choose one’s actions. Another example of an adamant life is unraveled in Emily Dickinson’s inspiring poem “A Light Exists in Spring.” In the poem, she reveals that, “It passes and we stay/A quality of loss/Affecting our Content” (Dickinson 268). Arguably, this demonstrates that many people struggle with the pursuit of happiness because individuals allow outside influences to change or to decide what one does; this shows that people will often times go along with the raging river of the status quo to later be washed ashore and deserted alone on an island, an island called self. Ultimately, it is essential to observe that by realizing that one lives a dictated life the pursuit of happiness takes one step closer towards breaking away from the overbearing pressures of conformity and the status

In the essay “Self-Reliance”, Ralph Waldo Emerson reveals the relationship that exists between the simplistic nature of men and the advanced society of men. He unveils that, “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist” (Emerson 258). This quote divulges that man must learn to deny society in order to truly live up to one’s own potential which is the natural goal of one’s life; man must refuse to accept the standards that are spoon-fed to them by society and embrace a Promethean lifestyle. Another exemplar of tearing free from society’s grasp is presented in Tupac Shakur’s poem “In the Depths of Solitude”. The author makes known that people are, “Constantly yearning to be accepted/And from all receive respect” (Shakur 266). This quote serves as a standard that man is too reliant on a Pygmalion society; by breaking free from the opinion of society, one can become self-reliant, allowing them to find happiness from what they offer – not from what others offer. All things considered, climbing the mountain of conformity and the status quo is challenging, but doing so will secure a better life aiming for the pursuit of