This chapter's epigraph is from a poem by the famous poet, Henry David Thoreau, in which he laments the futility of life. He laments that the world is full of life and death, but he also laments his own mortality, which he attributes to the fact that he is a man of few words. The poem ends with the poem's protagonist, Thoreau's grandson, reciting a poem about his grandfather's death. The protagonist's grandfather was the founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which was home to the Boston Tea Party and other prominent political and social events. He was a staunch defender of the rights of the common people, including the right to free speech and assembly, and he believed that all people should be equal before the law. He also believed that everyone should be able to practice their religion without fear of persecution. He believed that no one should be forced to listen to the opinions of others, and that all should be free to act as they wish. He did not believe that anyone should be