Walden Ch 12 Flashcards
Hermit and
Poet
Imagined dialogue between
Hermit and poet
Hermit wonders what the world is
Doing and speculates on the sounds he hears
Poet states at the clouds and asks hermit to
Come fish with him
Thoreau wonders why certain species fill
The place in our lives that they do
All animals are beasts of
Burden carrying or thoughts
The Eyes of the partridges reflect an
Age old intelligence
If you sit still long enough in an attractive spot in the woods
All its inhabitants will gradually exhibit themselves
Battle between red ants and
Black ants that are twice their size
The battle between ants displays more
Heroism and greater numbers than any American battle
Thoreau has no doubt that the ants are fighting over an issue of
Principle
Thoreau saw a house cat by the pond and was surprised to see how
Natural it looked
Dialogue between hermit and poet is the
Internal conflict that consumes Thoreau
Hermit is Thoreaus spiritual side that desires only to
Philosophize
Poet is the instinctual animal part of Thoreau which e attempts to
Shed
Hermit cannot live without
Poet though
Entranced and inspired by
Nature
Struggle to reconcile the spirituality that he sees to
Exist easily within nature
Ants exemplify the troubled
Coexistence of animal and spiritual
Poet compliments
Hermit
Thoreau is initially conflicted on which side takes precedence (hermit and poet) which results in a
Compromise where the two sides work together
Anthropomorphism scales down immense size of war to make reader reflect on
The difference between two mins icicle ants tearing at each other in comparison to human warfare
Baby partridges instinctively follow their mothers signal this instinct shows
Bravery
Baby partridges are described as
Advanced perfect gems precocious
