Explain Thoreau's figurative use of the word "burrowing" in the final paragraph. What is he digging for? Cite evidence from the text in your answer. "Where I Lived, And What I Lived For"

Henry David Thoreau was an American essayist, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, and historian, two of his greatest works are: "Resistance to Civil Government" (also known as "Civil Disobedience") and "The Mask of Anarchy". His ideals can be summarized by this statement: "the Government should not have more power than the bestowed by its citizens".

Henry David Thoreau was even imprisoned for refusing to pay taxes in protest for the Mexican-American War and the slavery.

Thoreau was an idealist; he opposed the oppression and tyranny from the government and I think that more people like him should exist for we need more free thinkers to defend the common citizen from the oppressive government we sometimes have.

Thoreau used the word "burrowing" to express that he acquires experiences, ideals and a sense of being one with the nature from below the surface of things. He is digging for experiences, for knowledge of the nature, of life in its purest sense, of the wild. Here we have a quotation from the last paragraph to analyze this situation:

"My instinct tells me that my head is an organ for burrowing, as some creatures use their snout and fore paws, and with it I would mine and burrow my way through these hills." (Thoreau)