Imagination

Thoreau had heard many stories about the bottom of Walden Pond, or rather, the lack thereof, and had to see for himself. His reasoning for doing so can be deciphered from his statement, "It is remarkable how long men will believe in the bottomlessness of a pond without taking the trouble to sound it." This thought process is beautiful because it's a metaphor for so many beliefs that humankind possesses regarding infinite versus finite means. The "bottomlessness of a pond" to which he refers could be replaced with the concept of natural resources in today's world, such as oil and other amenities that we have endlessly been consuming. Now, we are faced with the realistic fact that the road of consumption has an imminent dead end.

He discovers that the maximum depth of the water was approximately one hundred seven feet. Astounded at how remarkable a depth this is for such a small looking area, he poses the question, "What if all ponds were shallow? Would it not react on the minds of men? I am thankful that this pond was made deep and pure for a symbol. While men believe in the infinite, some ponds will be thought to be bottomless." Thoreau is remarking upon two things here. Firstly, he realizes the unflinching belief of mankind that things are everlasting. From the notion of the afterlife to the consumption practices mentioned earlier, it would be much more practical to go about something with the mindset that nothing lasts forever, or that all good things must come to an end. Secondly, albeit slightly contrary to the first point, he is remarking upon the infinite capabilities of people to achieve great things. Even though our resources are finite, our imagination is infinite.