Walden Henry David Thoreau

Walden has been the subject of many scholarly articles. Book reviewers, critics, scholars, and many more have published literature on Thoreau's Walden.

Thoreau carefully recounts his time in the woods through his writing in Walden. Critics have thoroughly analyzed the different writing styles that Thoreau uses. Critic Nicholas Bagnall writes that Thoreau's observations of nature are "lyrical" and "exact".[15] Another critic, Henry Golemba, asserts that the writing style of Walden is very natural.[16] Thoreau employs many styles of writing where his words are both intricate and simple at the same time.[16] His word choice conveys a certain mood.[16] For instance, when Thoreau describes the silence of nature, the reader may feel that serene moment as well.[16] Thoreau continues to connect back to nature throughout the book because he wants to depict what he experienced and saw.[16]

Many scholars have compared Thoreau to fellow transcendentalist writer Ralph Waldo Emerson. Although Emerson was 14 years his senior, much of his writing was influenced by Emerson.[17] Critic John Brooks Moore examined the relationship between Thoreau and Emerson and the effects it had on their respective works.[17] Moore claims that Thoreau did not simply mimic Emerson's work, but he was actually the more dominant one in the relationship.[17] Thoreau has learned from Emerson and some "Emersonism" can be found in his works, but Thoreau's work is distinct from Emerson's.[17] Many critics have also seen the influence of Thomas Carlyle (a great influence on Emerson), particularly in Thoreau's use of an extended clothing metaphor, which Carlyle had used in Sartor Resartus (1831).[18]

Scholars have recognized Walden's use of biblical allusions.[19] Such allusions are useful tools to convince readers because the Bible is seen as a principal book of truth.[19] According to scholar Judith Saunders, the signature biblical allusion identified in the book is, "Walden was dead and is alive again."[19] This is almost verbatim from Luke 15.11-32.[19] Thoreau is personifying Walden Pond to further the story relevant to the Bible.[19] He compares the process of death and rebirth of the pond to self-transformation in humans.[19]