|
Have questions?
Contact us
Already a member? Sign in
|
Get every literary device explanation for WaldenPlus so much more...
Sign up for LitCharts A+Get instant access to every literary device explanation, plus so much more...
Motif
Explanation and Analysis—Renewal:
Renewal becomes a recurring motif in Walden that conveys the author's hope for the evolution of humanity. For instance, in "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For," Thoreau writes:
Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, and I may say innocence, with Nature herself. [...]They say that characters were engraven on the bathing tub of king Tching-thang to this effect: “Renew thyself completely each day; do it again, and again, and forever again.” I can understand that. Morning brings back the heroic ages [...] There was something cosmical about it; a standing advertisement, till forbidden, of the everlasting vigor and fertility of the world. The morning, which is the most memorable season of the day, is the awakening hour.
Many phrases in this passage evoke renewal, especially the command to "renew thyself completely each day." In other words, personal evolution does not just happen; it must be striven for. The author firmly believes in the "everlasting vigor and fertility of the world," but he also insists that people have great agency to change their habits and beliefs. They not only must have a positive view of nature, but they also must engage spiritually with it. The continuous renewal of the human spirit subtly mirrors the cycle of the seasons, by which nature renews the earth each year.
The motif of renewal also manifests in the book's structure because it begins and ends in the spring. Thoreau experiences a brief moment of anxiety and discomfort in winter; he must also navigate the challenges of farming and provide for himself in every kind of weather. Thus the seasons reflect his changing emotions, which he describes in order to connect human feelings with natural phenomena. In the end, spring returns, which gives the book a circular structure and confirms the inevitability of renewal in nature.
Most importantly, this motif is significant because the whole book aims to encourage readers to begin a new way of life. Thoreau emphasizes spiritual—not material— renewal. He advocates for people to find growth within their own minds and communities rather than reaching for distractions via technology. In order to renew one's spirit, one must change one's physical environment— hence Thoreau's drastic lifestyle change. He lives by himself, farms his own food, and spends hours observing the natural world around him. The extremity of his experiment shows his commitment to personal renewal, but also to discovering to what extent renewal is possible for the rest of humanity.
Monthly
Annual (Best Value)
$595USD/mo
Charged $71.40 USD every year
Teacher$795USD/mo
Charged $95.40 USD every year
Literature Guide PDFs
LitCharts PDFs for every book you'll read this year.
Instant PDF downloads of all 2251 LitCharts literature guides and of every new one we publish. Try a free sample literature guide.
"Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!"
Quotes Explanations
Find the perfect quote. Understand it perfectly. Then rock the citation, too.
For all 50,202 quotes we cover.
For all 50,202 quotes we cover.
Teacher Editions
Close reading made easy for students.
Time saved for teachers.
For every book we cover.
Time saved for teachers.
For every book we cover.
Common Core-aligned
PDFs of modern translations of every one of Shakespeare's 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and 3 longer poems.
Literary Terms and Devices
Definitions and examples for every literary term and device you need to know.
Plus a quick-reference PDF with concise definitions of all 136 terms in one place.
Plus a quick-reference PDF with concise definitions of all 136 terms in one place.
Try a free sample literary term PDF.
Advanced Search
Refine any search. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more.
Related Themes
Comparing and contrasting texts? Find where any theme occurs across all of LitCharts in seconds.
Poetry Guides
Line-by-line explanations and analysis of figurative language and poetic devices.
For every lyric poem we cover.
For every lyric poem we cover.
