Walden: The Majesty of NatureHenry David Thoreau is one of the greatest romantic composers of his time. He shares with us in Walden his appreciation of nature and how it is the most important aspect of a man's life. Thoreau highlights his experiences at Walden Pond, offering his 19th-century reader what it means to live in the heart of nature rather than within the confines of the city or town. He reveres nature and believes we can never have enough of it. Thoreau comes from a time of unprecedented destruction and abuse of nature; railroads cross the plains, forests are cleared on millions of acres, and the earth itself is dug up to manipulate water for the selfish interests of man. In Walden, Thoreau shows his gratitude for the intricacies of nature in order to enlighten those who have not yet fully experienced them. Thoreau's reverential tone toward nature is evident throughout the short excerpt from Walden, showing that he understands the importance of nature. His recognition is also consistent with elements of Romanticism in that he, the author and creator, understands what we readers and the unenlightened do not understand about nature. Thoreau's first act of appreciation begins when he says: "like a ripple and dropping a stem or two again and again, showing the underside of his wings, which shone like a stained ribbon in the sun, or like the beginning of inside a shell,” to describe the majestic eagle in the sky. The complex sentence contains both captivating visual imagery and a masterful simile, both of which serve to show his appreciation for nature. Thoreau is apathetic to the name of the bird, Merlin, and instead focuses on the intrinsic qualities of the bird taking flight. He saw the magnificence of Merlin's routine flight... middle of paper ... synthesis of paradoxes. He recognizes that there is no new life without death in nature, and to this he adds: "I like to see that nature is so full of life that we can afford to sacrifice myriads and let them attack each other. » This phrase has rhythm and rhyme to emphasize how nature flows freely with life and death, in the same way that his phrase flows freely. Thoreau wholeheartedly welcomes death because it is part of nature. At Walden Pond, David Thoreau explores himself and nature. He learns from this experience that nature is medicine for man and that man must free himself from the chains of the city and village in order to see the beauty of nature. By writing this description of Walden Pond in spring, he illustrates nature at its peak. His readers learn from him, the enlightened one, the majesty of nature and its inconceivable paradoxes..