SynopsisEconomics: This is the first chapter and also the longest by far. Thoreau begins by outlining his plan: a stay of two years and two months in a rudimentary cabin in the woods near Walden Pond. He does this, he says, to illustrate the spiritual benefits of a simplified lifestyle. It easily provides for the four necessities of life (food, shelter, clothing and fuel). He meticulously records his expenses and income, demonstrating his understanding of "economics", as he builds his house, buys and grows food. For accommodation and freedom, he spends only $25. Additional Verses: This chapter consists entirely of a poem, “The Pretensions of Poverty,” by the 17th-century English poet Thomas Carew. The poem criticizes those who think that their poverty gives them a kind of undeserved moral and intellectual superiority. Where I Lived and Why I Lived: After toying with the idea of ​​buying a farm, Thoreau describes the location of his cabin. Then he explains that he took up residence in Walden Woods to "live deliberately, to face only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach me, and not , when I died, discovered that I had not lived. He aspires to a utopian era where every village in New England would support “wise men” to educate and thus ennoble the population. It rings true: Thoreau opens this chapter by warning against too much reliance on literature as a means of transcendence. Instead, one must experience life for oneself. So, after describing his... middle of paper...... geese flying north and a hawk playing alone in the sky. As nature is reborn, the narrator lets it be understood, too. He left Walden on September 8, 1847. Conclusion: This last chapter is more passionate and more urgent than its predecessors. Thoreau criticizes the constant haste of Americans to succeed, to acquire superfluous wealth which does nothing to increase their happiness. He exhorts us to change our lives for the better, not by acquiring more wealth and material goods, but rather to “sell our clothes and guard our thoughts” and to “say what we have to say, not what we should say.” He criticizes conformism: “If a man does not follow the rhythm of his companions, it is perhaps because he hears a different drummer. Let him walk to the rhythm of the music he hears, however measured or distant it may be. By doing these things, men can find happiness and personal fulfillment..