1. Emerson, Thoreau, and the Nature of Metonymy
... , Thoreau's interest, if not also his description, does read as more material, less metaphysical. Laura Walls insightfully argues this contrast in a recent article that observes the different ways Emerson and Thoreau write with reference to pine trees. "Unlike Emerson's pines," Walls asserts, and we could substitute "birds" here, "Thoreau's exist in their own independent world." (63) They are different, I ... I have been arguing that we need to be careful in not assuming that Thoreau's more literal descriptions of birds and trees are inherently more natural or more empirical than Emerson...
- Word Count: 9971
- Approx Pages: 40
- Grade Level: Undergraduate