Where I lived, and what I lived for

Walden Pond

First, in the spirit of Thoreau, turn off all your electronics: phone, TV, radio, iPod, etc.
Second, annotate the heck out of that first paragraph. Look for antitheses, diction (look up words you don't know and write down the definitions), opinions and attitudes (look for layers and subtleties), etc., etc. Wrestle with the first paragraph for half an hour. Suck the marrow out of it.
Third, read the rest of the passage found on page 276 of your book.
Fourth, blog Question on Rhetoric and Style numbers 1-2, 4-9
Finally, reflect on his ideas. Do you agree? Are they extreme? To what purpose might they be extreme? What would it mean for you to do something similar to Thoreau? Reflect on the value in Thoreau's ideas and their practice.