This essay will be identifying and analysing three stylistic techniques used by essayist and poet Henry David Thoreau in his novel Walden to describe nature. The first stylistic technique is the author’s painstaking attention to detail while describing parts of nature. Second is Thoreau’s emphasis on the philosophical importance of nature. Third, his didactic approach to environmental ethics for his readers. I have chosen Walden because although it was written in 1854, it is still relevant to twenty-first-century readers, it is about teaching people how to live while being distracted by societal pressures which are at a high today. Daniel Payne says in his book, “Why read Thoreau’s Walden” that “The value of wilderness (and wildness); the benefits of a life led simply rather than succumbing to rampant consumerism and needless complexity; and the cultivation of a sense of mindfulness conducive to spiritual and emotional well-being and growth,” (Payne 8). Payne mentions how Thoreau’s concern about technology connects to the information overload of the twenty-first century, thus proving the relevance. Walden’s importance in American Literature can be seen through the involvement of a number of professionals(memorialists, naturalists, ecologists, political activists etc) (Neufeldt,Smith 57) in the development of Walden Pond, just because of Thoreau’s book. Moreover, it helped scientists (e.g. a biologist at Boston University in 2004) discover the realities of climate change around 160 years after the book was written. In the end of the paper, I include a short piece of nature writing, inspired by Walden and Thoreau, written at a place on my university campus, which is very close to my heart. A stand out feature of Walden is Henry David Thoreau’s painstaking attention to detail when he describes features of nature, like the Walden Pond itself. He mentions how the pond “was made deep and pure for a symbol” (Thoreau 213). It is the main symbol that Thoreau uses throughout the novel. When the pond is called “earth’s eye, looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature” (Thoreau 139) his deep diving into details is evident. In the chapter, The Ponds Thoreau writes: “The scenery of Walden is on a humble scale…. and a bright green weed is brought up on anchors even in midwinter” (Thoreau 132). One can infer that two of nature’s cycles, spring and morning, provide for Thoreau’s major symbols along with providing inspiration for his rebirth, as these cycles are used as recurring literary devices in the text, they are one of the motifs used by Thoreau in describing nature. In the passage mentioned above, when Thoreau mentions measurements such as the circumference of the pond, it just leaves the reader in awe, such is the painstaking detail that he goes into. Moreover, his mention of the pond’s depth through its transparency is another example of how meticulous his attention to detail is. Further in the novel, Thoreau mentions “the same thought..welling up to its surface” after he returns to the pond and the primary moral attributes of this ‘thought’ are depth and purity, which are the highest moral values for Thoreau (Lyon 290) and make the pond even more significant as a symbol in his writing. In winter, when Thoreau cuts through the ice on the ponds and finds that “Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads” (Thoreau 211) it shows us how closely he has observed the pond, to be able to describe it so completely in a few words. Thoreau personifies God as the ‘ancient settler’ and uses the word ‘well’ as a synonym for the pond. He uses this literary device and God as a feature in the process to connect the Walden Pond to man. Thoreau also uses animals as a symbol and it again shows his attention to detail. They are his main companions in the woods and help show his retreat from human life along with the close intimacy to the natural world. A relevant example is the battle of ants which Thoreau mentions as “ferocity and carnage of a human battle,” this is not a historian simply describing what he/she sees in a battle, but its Thoreau, the philosopher linking it to the universal want to conquer. The mention of philosophy brings us to the second stylistic technique used by Thoreau- the philosophy of nature. “How deep is the Walden Pond? As deep as we are”. Conservationist, Terry Tempest Williams sums up Thoreau’s philosophy about the pond beautifully. A major part of Thoreau’s philosophy revolves around questioning beliefs. He writes: “I had three pieces of limestone on my desk…I threw them out the window in disgust” (Thoreau 29). His view is very close to that of the famous western philosopher, Rene Descartes. The method of doubt (Thoreau’s is called ‘Method of distrust’) which is commonly known as ‘Cartesian Skepticism.’ One can notice that Thoreau questions not only his own beliefs and desires but also his overall involvement in the world which comes off as radical (Furtak 123). The philosophical importance of nature is fairly evident in Thoreau’s reason for going to Walden. He shows a life of detachment from societal things like the company of women, sex. He also more than once expressed repugnance for his own body (Nagley 313). Thoreau starts the novel by mentioning his purpose of going to the pond. He writes: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately…. and be able to give a true account of it” (Thoreau 68). Thoreau’s thoughtfully worded introduction to the novel explains the philosophical importance of nature or the wild, as a teacher. They teach humans to withdraw from society to discover the categorical significance of human life, to discover ‘themselves.’ Walden was just a pond until Thoreau wrote about it and discovered himself around the pond and the woods. In today’s day it is crucial for us to take out time and spend it in the wild, this is how we will discover ourselves, and this is how we will find our Walden Pond. Don Henly, the founder of the Walden Woods project, sums this point up beautifully: “By simply observing and writing about Walden Pond, Thoreau made it iconic.” One of Thoreau’s main philosophical concerns is the idea of ‘necessity,’ (Mangrum 51) he mainly uses the literary device of metaphor to account for this concern. His description of the necessity of economic motivations as ‘seeming fate’ (Mangrum 53) implies that these arrangements only have the appearance but not the substance of inevitable causes of behavior. For Thoreau, unlike other western philosophers like Kant, Locke, and Hume, necessity is whatever “so important to human life that few … ever attempt to do without it” (Mangrum 56) we see specific examples of these necessities in the chapter ‘Economy’ where even society becomes a necessity. Precisely, the experiment of Walden creates fissures between moral agency and the perceived demands of necessity (Mangrum 57). Thoreau’s use of metaphor is integral in communicating his philosophy of nature to Walden’s readers. For example, he writes: “Is not our own interior white on the chart?” (Thoreau 239). He uses the above metaphor describes the dire lack of self-understanding in humans along with mentioning the lack of experimentation in our lives. It philosophizes nature to be a teacher who will help us improve in these areas, explore ourselves by being close to nature and live a more meaningful life. Generally, metaphor allows Thoreau to attribute independence to the features of nature that are observed generically. Additionally, through metaphor Thoreau shows how nature can be used to produce several meanings about the world and not just as a system of causes and effects, unlike Hume. Thoreau’s third major stylistic technique in Walden is about how he preaches his readers to be ethical in their lives (especially towards nature), through the use of the features of nature that he can see around him. Thoreau is majorly advocating the need for “Environmental Ethics” in his readers. Thoreau has always been a leading critic of anthropocentrism: the view that only human beings have rights or “intrinsic value” and other creatures are solely valuable as human resources and may be used any way we see fit (Cafaro 17). In Walden, Thoreau has repeatedly mentioned the intrinsic value of nature by showing it to us in different parts of nature around him, be it ants, trees or Walden Pond itself. Not just this, Thoreau goes to the next level by explaining how humans can benefit by recognizing nature’s importance and living their lives according to it. One can infer that two of nature’s cycles, spring and morning, provide for Thoreau’s major symbols along with providing inspiration for his rebirth, as these cycles are used as recurring literary devices in the text, they are one of the motifs used by Thoreau in describing nature. In the passage mentioned above, when Thoreau mentions measurements such as the circumference of the pond, it just leaves the reader in awe, such is the painstaking detail that he goes into For Thoreau, it is essential that we (humans) move from economic abstractions to economic experience if we want to develop as persons and stay happy. Such close attention has its consequences in terms of the meaning of work and the proper relation between the human economy and the economy of nature (Caforo 31). He writes: “What was the meaning of this so steady and self-respecting,…and so I got strength like Antaeus” (Thoreau 116). This passage from Walden shows how Thoreau shows his readers that with time he realized how his strength came through the nature that surrounded him, implying to us that if we give a chance to ourselves, we may intrinsically love our work rather than being motivated by the salary we are paid for it. For Thoreau one of the integral things of living life is to be passionate about what you do, especially for a living. He is preaching his readers that giving oneself some time with nature and away from the fast-moving and busy worldly life will help one understand what he/she is passionate about, hence aiding in living a much more happy and meaningful life. One of Thoreau’s main purposes in Walden was to make people realize the importance of the gift of nature and how undervalued it is in our lives. Today Thanksgiving is a once a year formality for something which deserves much more. He goes onto condemn land ownership which leads to the destruction of nature, he takes a very firm stance against this and deems it strictly against environmental ethics. Thoreau writes: “Flint’s Pond! Such is the poverty of our nomenclature….of his fruits, whose fruits are not ripe for him till they are turned” (Thoreau 136). Thoreau in the above passage quotes a real-life example of land destruction where his neighbor destroyed the forests by the pond. Thoreau relates it to the current threat to the wildlife near Walden Pond and fears that the human race weighs the monetary benefits of destroying land over the interests of preserving nature. Thoreau’s writing is a protest against the destructive approach and a strong message to the readers explaining why preserving nature is vital for the human race. Thoreau describes his relationship with Walden Pond as extremely fulfilling. He takes his example and preaches the readers how they can also make this kind of a soothing and comfortable relationship with any part of nature that they prefer. By mentioning his relationship with nature and how it has helped him realize how to better live life, Thoreau urges his readers to try and build a similar kind of a relationship with nature. His love for Walden is beautifully summed up in a poem: “It is no dream of mine,…Lies high in my thought.” (Thoreau 144) By what has been mentioned, one might think that Thoreau is advocating a complete withdrawal from society and towards nature, but his argument is much more profound. Thoreau’s acts of settlement, the volumes of Homer, Plato and Darwin by his bedside, and his return to the village at the end of his stay at the pond all point to a different conclusion. Thoreau hopes that nature and culture may complement one another. He believes that the richest human life extracts from each sphere the best of what it offers (Cafaro 46). Conclusively, Thoreau by using the above three major stylistic techniques has successfully proved to his readers that nature is worth spending time with and taking inspiration to live a better life. Through his attention to detail for nature, nature’s philosophy as a teacher and most importantly his didactic approach to environmental ethics, Thoreau has proved that Walden’s message is eminently relevant even in the twenty-first century. The sun is peeking out, with lush green grass ready to welcome it. It feels like inside a 3D movie screen, look around and the grass is so magical. Birds moving inside the grass give it more life, more reality. My time at this place has also been like the sun, I rose up, had my peaks and now as I write, it is time that I must set. Another day has to start, I have to rise again! The elements which make this scene come under the banner of old-world wilderness are the soothing voices of birds coming to my ears. I want to enjoy all this as much as I can because I don’t know if I’ll get a chance again. ‘Not Knowing’, is the beauty of life. It is because of this that we (humans) can use our capacity of ‘reason’. It is because of this that we take risks. It is because of this that life is how it is. The sun is now up; it is out in the sky for everyone to see. As more sunlight pours onto the lush green bed of grass, the shade of the bed becomes a very aesthetic blend of yellow, gold and green. Looking farther left, the path leading to the most beautiful part of campus is spotted. It is the most soothing yet the least known place. Our society suffers with this problem, we have forgotten what Thoreau said, we have forgotten of how to appreciate and thank ‘nature’. Thoreau says: “Everyone has their own Walden, just open your eyes and look around” I have found my Walden, it is ‘sunrise’, I can relate to sunrise how Thoreau did to Walden. I don’t have that feeling towards a specific location as all locations where I have witnessed have seemed immensely beautiful to me. The beauty hence, is in the ‘sunrise’ and not where it rises and who all rise and die with the sun. Now, I sit back at my writing spot, thank god that I am alive to be able to appreciate all this beauty in the world. I enjoy the peace; the only sound is the musical tone of birds chirping. This is feeling that I want to earn when I retire. I will ‘earn’ it, if I don’t earn it, I won’t get it. Even if fate disagrees, I won’t agree to take anything without discussing on it. At the end of this writing piece, I am smiling even though my head hurts and the sunlight is right into my eyes. This is one thing I want to be every day of my life, happy! I just look around my mesmerising view, smile again and put my pencil down. The writer is a graduate of Accounting & Finance from the Lahore University of Management Sciences. He can be reached at faizanbhagat1@gmail.com