Solitude

Solitude is defined by dictionary.com as

1.the state of being or living alone; seclusion: to enjoy one's solitude.
2.remoteness from habitations, as of a place; absence of human activity: the solitude of the mountains.
3.a lonely, unfrequented place: a solitude in the mountains.

To me the word solitude means being alone, and conotes feelings of lonlyness and sadness. I rarley associate solitude with feelings of joy or relief, even though I think solitude has different meanings for each person it pertains to. Some people really enjoy being alone, I do not. Solitude can be physical or emotional. By this I mean that you can be literally in solitary confinment, or you can be emotionaly distant and aloof from the people around you. When I think of the word solitude, I also think about "finding youself", and I am reminded of the book Siddartha. People sometimes place themselves volantarily in Solitude in order to have time to reflect on thier emotions and find out who they really are, and what truely matters to them. I have never heard of Solitude meaning a place, such as "a solitude in the moutains", but when used in this way, I feel that solitude means an absence of human activity, and visible animal life. In other words a quiet place where one is alone with nature.