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Thoreau’s Walden Chapter Two Book Analysis
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Thoreau’s Walden: Chapter Two Book Analysis
In chapter two of Thoreau’s, Walden referred to as “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For,” Thoreau presents an experience about his life. He presents this after having argued in the previous chapter that his colleagues typically lives unpleasant, indecisive as well as unreasonable lives of excess. Thus he instigates his description in the second section of Walden, and he describes the manner in which he considers that men ought to live. Centered on his individual life experiences, the second chapter of Walden title is typically branded by some detractors as clichéd. The title tends to be the first of numerous paradoxes in style, tone and also the subject (Thoreau, p.32). Thoreau terms his technique of searching for a living place and even a place of steering his experiment as resulting in him living a simple life. He portrays himself as a wanderer, whereby he walks all-round the region of where he lived. It is evident from his actions and articulations that he avoided land ownership and could not want to find himself possessing a piece of land. This paper discusses the chapter two of Thoreau’s book, Walden showing how this chapter reflects and fits in the book.
Thoreau recalls how he spent a lot of time observing other individuals pieces of land, whereby he even purchased them through imagination before deciding to settle at Walden Pond. Therefore the mental and imaginary real-estate transactions provided him with some precise skill on the transactions of property. It also gave him an excellent deal of vision into the kind of home that he essentially desired. He envisions in his mind a lot of things like going to the farmers, discoursing about their farm yield and buying their produce and other goods at their request prices without many discussions. Due to his creative imaginary thoughts, he lives for some time in numerous different homes. In some point, Thoreau decides to buy some piece of land, for example, the Hallowell place, but before they come up to an agreement with the seller, he cancels it and declines to purchase it (Thoreau, p.36). Finally, he never buys any piece of land or a farm for he comprehends that the possession of the material property is in contradiction with his principle and therefore the practice would tie him down. However, Thoreau chooses to borrow a piece of land from a friend known as Emerson for conducting his experiments. His new home is situated in the woods amid Concord and Lincoln, and there exists a lovely Walden Pond immediately outside his door. He seems to be pleased by the fact that he can enjoy the beauty of the region for free.
Thoreau applicably relocates to Walden Pond on 4th July 1845, which was the Independence Day. Though his cabin in the woods is not yet completed, it gives him some comfort as well as warmth for survivability until he finishes building it. Thoreau seems to be eager to commence his experiment and also to experience the beauty and the serenity that Walden Pond consents. He primarily looks forward to the mornings for he believes that the mornings are the awakening period whereby new ambitions and super creative genius are born. According to his perceptions, all the unique things in history ought to have occurred during the mornings when a man was wide-awake (Thoreau, p.42). He further states that it is unfortunate that individuals usually spend most of their mornings doing some tasks which they dislike, and therefore they tend to be confined to a specific career and thus are incapable of enjoying the incredible natural world which surrounds them.
Several themes of the book Walden are portrayed in this chapter that makes it fit well in the book. For example the idea of sight. Thoreau likens the outlooks from the seashore hill and the obverse of his cabin. Thus as it exists, he can see up to the mountains that are located in the northwest from the hill. Also, his only physical view as from his cabin is pasture, but rendering to his imaginations, he is capable of seeing the outermost reaches of the universe besides the history. Therefore it is quite significant to accentuate that Thoreau’s authenticity is not a factual or a historical notion. The delusions of his articulations are thereby not creations of his imaginations but regard some aspects, for instance, religion and philosophy as illusory since they tend to limit and distort individuals’ immediate experience of themselves in the world.
The juxtaposition portrayed in the topic of this chapter, “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For,” affords an excellent indication of Thoreau’s philosophy. According to his philosophies, the physical conditions of life are fundamentally and also inevitably tied to an individual’s spiritual life. The cabin appearance, its furniture, size and more so its location on the shoreline of the pool all add to his mental arousal (Thoreau, p.46). Due to this association between an individual’s physical besides the divine life, Thoreau’s relocation towards the shoreline of Walden Pond is essential; and therefore it is for this reason he advises his townsmen to reevaluate their physical conditions similarly.
Moreover, the theme of sleep which evident in this chapter plays a significant factor in the formation of the book. The use of sleep as a symbol and the issue of being awake as a perfect metaphor exhibits a prolonged history, particularly in the literature of New England. Therefore as it is evident from this discussion, this chapter which is the second in the Walden book fits in the development of the book.
Works Cited
Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. Oxford University Press, 2008.
Thoreau, Henry. Where I lived, and what I lived for. Vol. 37. Penguin UK, 2005.
Positive Psychology in the United States
Positive Psychology in the United States
Life can be tough sometimes and challenges are unavoidable, especially with the current economic hardship in the country. Citizens are highly stressed more than ever. This is why demand for positive psychology is increasing daily. As it seeks to increase the psychological wellbeing of people, it enables them to navigate the upsetting lifestyle of this era more effectively and enjoy life despite them (Gable S. L., Haidt J., 2005).
People are more stressed nowadays mainly because of the ever rapidly accelerating pace of modern life and constant change, both human and natural. The world is more demanding. Prices of consumer goods and gas are on the rise day by day. This means people have to dig deeper in to their pockets for resources that are not even enough (Snyder C.R., 2005). Teenagers on the other hand are under pressure to pursue education as the only resort for better future. Their stress levels are higher than in the past. In most adults though, money and job stability are the major contributors to anxiety (Snyder C.R., 2005).
On a scale of 1-10, where 1 represents ‘not happy at all’ or ‘sad’, and 10 represents ‘happiest’, I can gauge my level of happiness at 7. This shows I am not badly off. My level of happiness is this better because I have learnt to live with others and the environment. Persons can enhance their own happiness by being self-aware, and speaking well with others. The art of forgiving, for example, can relieve one a lot of stress.
The Asian Art Museum
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The Asian Art Museum
Topic: The Seated Buddha.
Introduction
From the Buddha art displayed in a sitting position, we get to learn so much about Buddhism as well as the godly representation through the piece of art. Through it, we also get to learn about the history of Buddhism, what it entails, and what their practices mean. It is a very valuable and informative piece of art.
The photo below represents Buddha; it is a clear representation of the history of Buddha culture and religion.
This artwork was done in the year 338 AD. It was produced in China and at the time of its production, it was 500 years after Buddhism was transmitted from India to China. It is one of the most important and special bronze sculptures to survive from all that time till the present day. This work was greatly influenced and encouraged by artists from the region called Gandhara which was an area inclusive of some parts of India, Japan, and Afghanistan. It was an imitation of Indian art objects brought to china at the time when Buddhism was being transmitted from India to China.
This piece of art is attributed to Later Zhao, which was a state small in size and founded by Jie. These were non-Chinese people from central Asia and in the 4th century, they controlled the central plain of China. In 310 a Buddhist teacher and believer had settled in the central plains. His name was founding. He was considered as the religious counselor as well as a military adviser for most of the leaders of that time. Through his preaching, he influenced the third king of Zhao by the name Shi Hu. The king believed that the Buddha was miraculous and worshipped him for victory blessing to be upon him.
At that time gold was expensive in china and therefore the artists did coat the bronze with a little layer of gold. This was mainly for purposes of preventing tarnishing of the statute. Mercury gilding is an art that had been practiced for a very long, approximately 2000 years ago. Gold and mercury were melted and then applied on the bronze surface for it to be able to be preserved and gilded.
Display of Buddha
In the online museum library in America the Buddha being of very great importance it is placed strategically so that everyone who wishes to see it can see it with great ease. This is because even though people view different works of art within the library every person is always attracted to see the Buddha statue which is very common. The strategic location and convenient position/ locality as well helps us to see it and admire as well as appreciate beauty, history, and culture all of them intertwined together in one photo which speaks a lot.
Art style
This work of art about Buddha employs a very wide range of styles and this helps us to understand it or explain it more vividly and clearly. Some of the styles employed herein include cubism, Dadaism, expressionism, neo-classicism, etc.
These styles are very important because it is through them that we can analyze and see the desires of the artists herein as well as capture the message that the artists so ardently wanted to communicate to the person engaging with his/her artwork.
Cubism
This is the style whereby objects of art are analyzed keenly, broken down into single pieces, and then re-assembling the art in a complex manner. In this style, the artists instead of presenting ideas and other concerns in the art as individual items, display them as separate works, and through this, there is a wider range of variety, therefore, bringing in more understanding about the piece of art. The movement was primarily Pablo Picasso together with Georges Braque. It came into existence around the year 1907.
This is the theory which led to other styles like constructivism and neoplasticism. Cubism is also involved in determining the 3-dimensional form of any work of art and therefore for every work analyzed using this style we have to get the 3-dimensional view of the work through the presentation of the various ideas in a complex manner. According to Georges Braque, the works of Paul Cezanne greatly influenced this style because even from his drawings it was clear that he had a different style in which he drew with which was completely not in peace with the other conventional styles used by other artists. His works were mostly inspired by African tribal masks which had unique characteristics.
There are two types of cubism which are analytical cubism and synthetic cubism. These two are different in terms of intensity of complexity. Analytical is deeper while synthetic is not as deep as analytical. Concerning Buddha, it is correct to say that Buddha is a complex artwork to analyze first of all. The second issue would be that it is possible and easy for it to be demonstrated in a more diverse and 3-dimensional manner.
Expressionism
Expressionism is the style concerned with the attitude of digging deeper into art and realizing more than what is represented just from the outward view of the art. It involves tenets like psyche, body, self, spirit, and nature. From this point of view, it can also be said that expressionism is characterized by psyche, nature, spirit, body, and self. This style is about harnessing the issues faced on daily basis or rather the common happenings of our lives and putting them out to the public in admirable ways. This pushes people to think about themselves at once and by doing this they come to the realization about life and they decide what course they will walk along in this life.
This style does not only refer to the people rethinking about themselves after being exposed through expressionism but also about ancient arts of work like the Buddha which dates back to 338 AD. Therefore this style can be clearly and in a beautiful manner be employed in the art of the Buddha whereby it is very expressive and this expressiveness can be harnessed and explained in a more clear and detailed manner to get people to understand every aspect of this style as well as every aspect of the Buddha.
Neo-classicism
This is a theory that began in the 1970s and it has lasted since then. It is the style that is mainly concerned with “emphasizing the austere linear design in the depiction of classical themes and subject matter, using archaeologically correct settings and clothing,” (David Irwin,01). This style mainly focuses on the concerns of the art which was written later but basis its representation on things or activities that happened in ancient times. This is very important especially when it comes to the Buddha artwork. This is because it is a representation of what Indians had made and which was transmitted to China. This is because Buddhism came to China after 500 years of its existence in India and therefore the making of the sculpture of Buddha was a sign of learning from the Indian people and portraying the ancient in the past.
Artwork description
The artwork description is very important as it is what makes the people who know nothing about a certain artwork know it from the description and be able to visualize it.
Line
In this work of art which is a sculpture of Buddha the use of line is perfect as a line is used to draw boundaries and to end parts of the sculpture such as the hair, sleeves, etc. line is not connected throughout but keeps on ending and reappearing.
Shape
This is whereby within a work of art there is a clear distinction of shape whereby the shape has both width and length. In the sculpture of Buddha, this is not employed.
Space
Space being the area within or outside of the artwork can be seen in different ways. Almost every work of art has this tenet because it refers to any space out or within the artwork. Therefore in the artwork of Buddha is very clear that space is very well represented because there is space in and out of the artwork. In refers to the space inside the sculpture which if it was a real person would be the internal organs and systems of a human being but since it is an artwork it can be referred to as space filled with solid or void space.
Value
This is the darkness or the lightness of a color. It is one of the most essential elements of art and therefore it is represented in the sculpture of Buddha in a very good and special manner because the darkness and lightness of the color used are very well balanced making it visible in a clear manner.
Color
Color is used in a good quality combination which appeals aesthetically to the eyes of the viewer and this helps us to understand better what it means to have this sculpture of Buddha. Different colors have different psychological meanings and can also have different effects on the people who look at them.
Analysis
Analysis of any work of art is based on a different principle of designs which include; balance, repetition and rhyme, scale and proportion, emphasis (focal point), movement, and harmony.
Balance is displayed in this work of art because it is fully balanced and cannot fall easily. The art is made like a human being seated and therefore enjoys almost similar balance qualities to a human being. Repetition is also employed in the sculpture about Buddha, this is because several lines are repeated and patterns and shapes as well. This leads to rhyme which makes the work of art even more attractive.
The scale is very accurate as the Buddha is almost the same size as a normal human being and proportion as well is appropriately employed in the making of the sculpture. Emphasis is laid on the top part of the best of the Buddha because it is what is most important and also what is visible when the Buddha is sited. Movement is also perfectly implied. This is because even though the Buddha cannot move the artwork implies that if he was to move the first thing he would do was to stand. The visual elements are perfectly interconnected and work very well.
This is a work which is extra-ordinary and can be called a masterpiece.
Conclusion
This is a great work which is very attractive and how it was created makes it appeal the most people. It is very well composed and it shows that art existed even before and we can relate to this and desire to produce these kinds of works more and more because it can be the basis of what we do and it does not get old.
Works cited
Krishan, Yuvraj, and Kalpana K. Tadikonda. The Buddha image: its origin and development. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1996.
Evans, Poppy, and Mark A. Thomas. Exploring the elements of design. Cengage Learning, 2012.
Johnson, Mia. “The elements and principles of design: Written in finger Jello?.” Art Education 48.1 (1995): 57-61.
Ch’en, Kenneth Kuan Sheng, et al. Buddhism in China: A historical survey. Vol. 1. Princeton University Press, 1964.
Harvey, Peter. An introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, history, and practices. Cambridge University Press, 2012.