Assignment Three – “Sounds“

In this chapter Thoreau contrasts the sounds of nature with the sounds of the creeping industrialization. This contrast still exists today; but the tides have changed. As the sounds of technology seem to be an exception for Thoreau, the sounds of nature are the exception today. At least if you are living in a big city, where over the last few years even the birds have startet imitating the ringtones of the humans’ cellphones.

Classically he finds beauty in all the (conventional) birdsong, windblowing, insects, and all the other aspects of sounds of nature, that are described by most authors—especially in Transcendentalism. But he also enjoys the human made sounds to some degree. Not only does the passing train remind him of the screeching of hawks, but he then starts to elaborate about who is riding this train and for what purposes. His description of the sounds in this passage could be named the sound of industriousness, since he mostly speeks about the noises that are generated by the people who are working on and with the train. When the train has passed he feels “more alone than ever“, so he allegedly enjoyed the sound of the working people.

Nowadays working doesn’t make that much noise anymore. But working in an office excludes you from the sounds of nature as well. Most of the work is done inside and I believe that the majority of my generation actually is keen on spending time outside and is appreciating nature. Although we won’t every day be able to hear the birdsong as rich and beautiful as Thoreau did, the importance of nature is so well established, that cities—Hamburg does an above average job here in my eyes—offer parks and recreational facilities to make a small amount of nature accessible for their inhabitants in everyday life.

Admittedly the internet is as important as never before and will become even more important, but this doesn’t mean that you have to sit in front of your computer all day long anymore. The mobile internet is allready very wide spread and will be improved further and further. This point might seem sarcastic at first, but to a society that to a growing extent is happening in the internet this really is an important factor. These two developments are mutually supporting each other: the more accessible the internet is, the more important it will become and vice versa. The need for being in touch with nature is definitely existing and the ability to work, connect, play, or consume media wherever you want definitely does support the realization of this need.