In chapter two, “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For,” of Henry David Thoreau’s thoughtful memoir Walden, Thoreau poses these specific questions rhetorically in an effort to appeal to his audience and extol the virtues of leisure, meditation, and the pursuit of knowledge. Indeed, in this specific chapter, Thoreau emphasizes his desire to be removed from the hectic pace of the town, and to not devote his life to physical labor, but instead...
In chapter two, “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For,” of Henry David Thoreau’s thoughtful memoir Walden, Thoreau poses these specific questions rhetorically in an effort to appeal to his audience and extol the virtues of leisure, meditation, and the pursuit of knowledge. Indeed, in this specific chapter, Thoreau emphasizes his desire to be removed from the hectic pace of the town, and to not devote his life to physical labor, but instead be intellectually engaged and in tune with the natural world. Thoreau addresses his concerns in the first question that you mention:
“It matters not what the clocks say or the attitudes and labors of men. Morning is when I am awake and there is a dawn in me. Moral reform is the effort to throw off sleep. Why is it that men give so poor an account of their day if they have not been slumbering? They are not such poor calculators. If they had not been overcome with drowsiness, they would have performed something. The millions are awake enough for physical labor; but only one in a million is awake enough for effective intellectual exertion, only one in a hundred millions to a poetic or divine life. To be awake is to be alive. I have never yet met a man who was quite awake. ” (Thoreau).
Thoreau laments that being caught up in the grind of societal expectations and physical work prevents individuals from leading rich, intellectual lives. He notes that men who live to work might as well be asleep and disconnected from the truly important components of life. He addresses a similar point with the second quote that you have provided:
“Why should we live with such hurry and waste of life? We are determined to be starved before we are hungry. Men say that a stitch in time saves nine, and so they take a thousand stitches today to save nine tomorrow. As for work, we haven't any of any consequence.” (Thoreau)
Thus, Thoreau answers these questions, but not wholly explicitly. Instead, readers gather his thoughts on the subject from his overall tone and thoughts throughout the chapter. Thoreau poses these questions rhetorically to encourage readers to question the validity of placing such an emphasis on physical labor while overlooking the joys of intellectual and leisurely pursuits, of meditation and thoughtful consideration of one’s surroundings.
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