How should we format this discussion?

Thomas Hood · Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 6:29 pm Post subject:

[quote="DWill"]

Lawrence · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 3:16 am Post subject: I Ching

Lawrence · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:09 am Post subject: Walden

Well Thomas, I’ve been thinking and it occurs to me Walden may be your new bible and Henry David a guru. In respect of that possibility I will no longer poke fun at your citations and make every effort to learn from your observation. Like a wise man once told me “Your citations are valuable. You have explored avenues of life that I have never been down, and it is a help to me to know what you have found worthwhile and lacking.”

That being said I think it will be useful for you to get my “take” on HDT and Walden. I see an ordinary 30 year old New England shiftless loafer living off of his (mother and sisters or Aunt and cousins? Which is it Thomas?) Can you just imagine the dinner table talk for 7 years? “Did you find work today Henry David? Well did you even look? You know you’re not going to put you feet under my table forever without contributing something. I work my fingers to the bone trying to keep body and soul together and make ends meet ….Yatata yatata yatata.” Hell it’s no wonder he went to Walden to get some peace and quiet. He loved the peace (give us the citation Thomas hereinafter “qcv.” It’s no mystery to me why he liked solitude. (qcv Thomas).

I’ve camped out in the pines of Canada on their clear lakes. I’ve spent the night under the stars on a Kansas prairie and in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. It is spectacularly beautiful. I was alone and I thought. I was alone and I looked and saw. I saw a beautiful maidenhair fern unfurling its leaves. I saw beautiful delicate wild flows sprouting in craggy folds being visited by colorful butterflies. Then I saw an ant carrying some critter home for dinner. I watched a blue jay snatch a worm and a hawk grab a turtle dove out of the sky leaving a cloud of feathers. Then I saw a snake eat a mouse. Then I thought.

How can such incredible violence exist within such incredible beauty? And that is what HDT did. He found solitude. He looked and saw beauty. And he thought. In his thinking the awareness of his tranquility and the pleasant tactile personal experience delineated where he was from the coarseness of his neighbors in Concord living a life of commerce and strife (to which he already had a natural aversion). (qcv Thomas)

Then he wrote. He wrote about what he saw, what he thought and what he came to believe about the meaning of it all.

Well Thaaaaaaat’s all folks

Lawrence · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:21 am Post subject: DWill

Hi DWill! Here is the exact quote from page 66 of my text. (Thomas qcv)

Lawrence · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:44 am Post subject: Walden

Thomas Hood, did you sand bag Chris to get him to chose Walden.

Thomas Hood · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 12:27 pm Post subject: Re: Walden

Thomas Hood · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 1:07 pm Post subject: Re: Walden

Lawrence · Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 2:39 pm Post subject: Walden

Thomas, you da man!!!!!! Surprised

So much ignorance, so much misinformation. L

bradams · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 3:59 pm Post subject:

I have access to a fully annotated version on my uni website. It will be twice as easy to understand but take twice as long to read. or maybe it will be twice as hard to understand and take twice as long to read - we'll see.

Thomas Hood · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 5:01 pm Post subject:

DWill · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 11:51 am Post subject:

Lawrence and Thomas,
Of course, proof-texting isn't even reasonable for studying the bible. It's not likely to work with HDT, either. Whoever goes about his life's work thinking that he must always say things consistent with what he said before? How awful that would be, not to be able to submit to different moods and inspirations. Remember Emerson on contradiction and foolish consistency!

Thomas, I also read that the fine graphite dust Thoreau was often exposed to contributred to his TB.

I'm wondering if we are going to get going with discussion of themes/topics. Unfortunately, I cannot offer myself as discussion leader. Should we make a list of topics, though, for Chris or somebody to put up on the forum?
DWill

Thomas Hood · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 6:06 pm Post subject:

President Camacho · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 9:57 pm Post subject:

Even if you won't be discussion leader, I'm still very grateful that you'll be part of the discussion. I can tell your input is going to add very much to the understanding and appreciation of Walden for me.

I've already started reading and it seems the author is really trying to emphasize the quiet despair of the average working man in the first chapter, Economy.

Once populations exceed the amount of animal protein available for consumption, this type of self slavery seems to be inevitable. Each man, controlled by bigger men, is prodded to increase production. Their earnings are garnished and they are sometimes left with just enough to continue producing the next day. This life is somewhat of a Promethean hell and its irony is something T relays very well. Instead of working to live - HDT explains that it's how people dig their own graves (when they are born into this type of life). There's a lot more explained than that - such as the character and integrity that people willingly sacrifice in order to maintain their existence. It's a blow to civilization.

Lawrence · Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 12:11 pm Post subject: Test

Hello all,
I think I'm back into a posting mode. I'm sorry to have missed all the fun you folks have had with Thomas Hood and HDT. Let's see if this post makes it to the forum. Best wishes, Lawrence


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