Solitude is an extremely prominent theme throughout Walden’s essays. This essay, named “Solitude” is no exception. Thoreau walks us through his routine of solitude, walking and listening to the sounds of nature while calming himself to reach this state of mind that he calls solitude. The irony of this essay is that the solitude prepares him for time with other people. He makes it sound as if solitude is his favorite thing and he finds it much better than spending time with people. However, when we read the essay, “Visitors,” he talks about how much he learns from those encounters. I believe that Thoreau thought solitude was so important because it prepared him to have more meaningful conversations and interactions with his peers. In paragraph 13, Thoreau states “Society is commonly too cheap” (para. 13). Thoreau wants meaningful relationships, and the only way this will be accomplished is by preparing himself through solitude. Ironically, his solitude is in preparation for social interaction.