Conclusion of Spring
Thoreau concludes his chapter on spring by observing its regenerative power in nature and humanity, arguing for the spiritual necessity of wildness.
6 argumentative units
- 01Harbingers of Spring and Creation
Thoreau observes the arrival of geese, pigeons, and other creatures, seeing the coming of spring as a cosmic event akin to creation.
- 02Spring's Moral Power of Renewal
He reflects that a pleasant spring morning offers a kind of forgiveness for sins, allowing for a recovery of innocence in all people.
- 03Quotations on Virtue and the Golden Age
Thoreau includes several quotations that reflect on humanity's primitive nature of virtue and the idyllic state of the world in a mythical Golden Age.
- 04A Hawk's Flight and a Glimpse of Immortality
He describes the ethereal flight of a hawk and a catch of jewel-like fish, experiences that serve as powerful proofs of immortality.
- 05The Necessary Tonic of Wildness
We require the tonic of wildness, Thoreau argues, to be refreshed by inexhaustible vigor and to witness our own limits transgressed.
- 06Summer's Approach and Departure from Walden
As May arrives and the seasons roll into summer, Thoreau notes the completion of his first year and his eventual departure from the woods.