In the Battle of the Ants by Henry David Thoreau he starts his story off about ant fighting on the ground. As he continues the story he explains and opens up and expans so the reader can have a visual image of an event in history. Thoreau is a transcendentalist in many ways and this short story explains why. Thoreau uses nature to help express the battle at Bunker Hill. He uses his back yard as the battle ground. For example, when Thoreau writes "Myrmidons covered all the hills and vales in my wood yard and the ground was already strewn with dead and dying, both red and black" (Thoreau). He also writes about ants fighting, and what he later reveals is that the ants are soilders. Thoreau employs " why here every ant was at buttrick...FIRE! for god sakes FIRE!... abd thousanda shared the fate of davis and Hosmer"(Thoreau). The way that he portrayed the battle at Bunker Hill with his transcendental mind was very creative. He compared nature with human. Not only do humans have wars but other aspects of life do as well. He helps you understand the importance of history and imagery. He opened a door way to the truth about everything in life and how everyone and everything have their own battles to fight for.