Metaphors in Walden

Although on the surface Walden seems to be a description of the external, natural world, it is more importantly a search for spiritual perfection. From beginning to end, Thoreau uses aspects of the natural as metaphors for the struggles of the self. As a Transcendentalist, Thoreau believed that man is not limited to learning about God. Rather, he believed that man's mind can create, independent of the senses, a consciousness of God. For Thoreau, Walden …

…funk. Then looking into the depths of the pond/soul he swells with joy, appreciating the beauty of the world around him. The narrator ice from the pond being cut and presumably taken to warmer states for sale. The narrator, seeing this, feels a oneness first with the people that will share parts of Walden with him, then with everyone everywhere. As the pond thaws completely the narrator's self elevates to its most spiritual level.