Ding Dong by Henry David Thoreau
The work is a philosophical and autobiographical exploration of the author's experiences living in a cabin near Walden Pond. It reflects on simple living, self-sufficiency, and individualism. The narrative is structured around the author's two-year experiment in living off the land, where he seeks to understand the nature of existence and his place within it.
By Henry David Thoreau · First published 1845 · Genre: Poetry, Nature, Philosophical · 218 words
First lines
When the world grows old by the chimney-side, / Then forth to the youngling nooks I glide, / Where over the water and over the land / The bells are booming on either hand.
Now up they go ding, then down again dong, / And awhile they ring to the same old song, / For the metal goes round at a single bound, / A-cutting the fields with its measured sound, / While the tired tongue falls with a lengthened boom / As solemn and loud as the crack of doom.
Then changed is their measure to tone upon tone, / And seldom it is that one sound comes alone, / For they ring out their peals in a mingled throng, / And the breezes waft the loud ding-dong along.
What this Textopian page supports
Ding Dong is listed on Textopian as a poem by Henry David Thoreau, dated 1845 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Henry David Thoreau
- Date: 1845 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Nature, Philosophical, Romanticism
- Length: 218 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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- Work identity for Ding Dong by Henry David Thoreau
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form with a rhythmic and lyrical quality, characteristic of poetry.
- Nature — The text includes vivid descriptions of natural settings, such as water, land, and breezes, which are central to the theme.
- Philosophical — The work reflects on themes of time, age, and personal transformation, suggesting a deeper philosophical inquiry.
- Romanticism — The emphasis on individual experience, emotion, and the sublime in nature aligns with Romantic literary themes.
Tags
Philosophical · Nature · Existentialism · Self-Discovery · Simple Living · Environmentalism · Meditative · Poetic · Symbolic · Allegorical · Fictionalized Nonfiction · Autobiographical