Walden

Henry David Thoreau

Description

Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) was an American naturalist, poet, philosopher, and essayist who played a leading role in the transcendentalist movement. A prolific writer, he produced more than 20 volumes of articles, essays, journals, poetry and books, with his most notable contributions including his work on philosophy and natural history. Arguably his most famous work, “Walden or, Life in the Woods” (1854), it concerns Thoreau's experiences over a period of two years, two months, and two days spent in a cabin near Conrad, Massachusetts. A reflection on simple living in nature, it is partly an exploration of personal freedom, partly a social experiment, and partly a voyage of self-discovery. Highly recommended for fans of nature writing and transcendentalism. Contents include: “Economy”, “Where I Lived, and What I Lived for”, “Reading”, “Sounds”, “Solitude”, “Visitors”, “The Bean-Field”, “The Village”, “The Ponds”, “Baker Farm”, “Higher Laws”, “Brute Neighbors”, “House-Warming”, “Former Inhabitants and Winter Visitors”, etc. Other works by this author include: “The Landlord” (1843), “Sir Walter Raleigh” (1844), and “Herald of Freedom” (1844). A Thousand Fields is republishing this classic book now complete with an Introductory poem by Louisa M. Alcott and a biographical sketch by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Sujets

• Woodcraft

Informations

• Publié par: Read Books Ltd.
• Date de parution: 05 décembre 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781473346789
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

WALDEN
OR, LIFE IN THE WOODS
By
HENRY DAVID THOREAU
Including an Introductory Poem, by Louisa M. Alcott, And a Biographical Sketch, by Ralph Waldo Emerson

First published in 1854



Copyright © 2021 A Thousand Fields
This edition is published by A Thousand Fields, an imprint of Read & Co.
This book is copyright and may not be reproduced or copied in any way without the express permission of the publisher in writing.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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Contents
Henry D avid Thoreau
THO REAU'S FLUTE
An Introductory Poem by Loui sa M. Alcott
BIOGRAP HICAL SKETCH
By Ralph W aldo Emerson
WALDEN
ECONOMY
WHERE I LIVED, AND WHAT I LIVED FOR
READING
SOUNDS
SOLITUDE
VISITORS
TH E BEAN-FIELD
THE VILLAGE
THE PONDS
BAKER FARM
HIGHER LAWS
BRU TE NEIGHBORS
H OUSE-WARMING
FORMER INHABITANTS AND WIN TER VISITORS
WI NTER ANIMALS
THE PO ND IN WINTER
SPRING
CONCLUSION
ON THE DUTY OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
RESISTANCE TO CIVIL GOVERNMENT An Essay by Henry Dav id Thoreau.


Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau was born David Henry Thoreau on 12 July 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts. He became ‘Henry David’ after college, but never petitioned to make the name change legal. He studied at Harvard College between 1833 and 1837 and took classes in rhetoric, classics, philosophy, maths and science. After Thoreau graduated in 1837, he joined the faculty of the Concord public school, but quickly resigned as he disagreed with corporeal punishment. In 1838 he and his brother, John, opened Concord Academy, a grammar school which introduced several progressive concepts such as nature walks and visits to local businesses. The school closed after John died in Thoreau’s arms after becoming fatally ill with tetanus due to a sha ving wound.
Thoreau was an intelligent man and a keen philosopher of nature and its relation to the human condition. In his early years he was particularly keen on Transcendentalism. His friend, Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), encouraged him to contribute essays and poems to a quarterly periodical, The Dial , which published Thoreau’s first essay, Aulus Persius Flac cus (1840).
In 1841, Thoreau moved into the Emerson house and worked as the children’s tutor, editorial assistant, and repair man until 1844. Soon after, he began work in his father’s pencil factory which he continued to do for most of his life. In 1845, Thoreau found himself struggling to concentrate on his writing so embarked on a two year experiment in simple living. He moved into a small, self-built house on land owned by Emerson around the shores of Walden Pond. Soon after, in 1846, Thoreau was asked to pay six years of late poll taxes. Thoreau refused due to his opposition to the Mexican-American war and slavery. He spent the night in jail as a result, but was released the next day when someone paid on his behalf. The experience had a strong impact on Thoreau and in 1848 he delivered lectures on ‘The Rights and Duties of the Individual in relation to Government’. He later revised the lecture into an essay entitled Resistance to Civil Governm ent (1849).
Whilst living at Walden Pond, Thoreau wrote A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers (1849), an elegy to his brother, John. He could not find a publisher for the book so printed a thousand copies himself, though he sold less than three hundred. In 1847 he moved back into the Emerson house and over the next years he worked to pay off his debts and write Walden, or Life in the Woods (1854) which recounted the time he had spent at Walden Pond. He left the Emerson house in 1848 and in 1850 moved into a family home where he lived until his death.
In 1851, Thoreau became fascinated with natural history and travel narratives. He became a land surveyor and wrote detailed observations of natural history in his journal. He also kept a series of notebooks which became the source for his later natural history writings, such as Autumnal Tints (1862) and Wild Apples (1862). He devoured any travel accounts he could get his hands on and was fascinated by the people, cultures, religions and natural history of the world. He travelled extensively within America, to Quebec, Cape Cod, Maine, Philadelphia, New York, Niagara Falls, Detroit and Chicago. These landscapes inspired his exploration books, such as A Yankee in Canada (1866) and Cape Cod (1865). Thoreau was a prolific writer on a number of topics. His titles included Herald of Freedom (1844), Slavery in Massachusetts (1854), and A Plea for Captain John Br own (1859).
Thoreau contracted tuberculosis in 1835 and suffered from it sporadically after that. In 1860 after a night excursion to count the rings of tree stumps during a storm he contracted bronchitis and his health declined until he eventually became bedridden. He spent the remainder of his life editing and improving his works, particularly The Maine Woods (1864) and Excursions (1863). He died on May 6 1862 at the age of forty four.


THOREAU'S FLUTE
An Introductory Poem by Louisa M. Alcott
We, sighing, said, "Our Pan is dead; His pipe hangs mute beside the river;— Around it wistful sunbeams quiver, But Music's airy voice is fled. Spring mourns as for untimely frost; The bluebird chants a requiem; The willow-blossom waits for him;— The Genius of the wood is lost."
Then from the flute, untouched by hands, There came a low, harmonious breath: "For such as he there is no death;— His life the eternal life commands; Above man's aims his nature rose: The wisdom of a just content Made one small spot a continent, And tuned to poetry life's prose.
"Haunting the hills, the stream, the wild, Swallow and aster, lake and pine, To him grew human or divine,— Fit mates for this large-hearted child Such homage Nature ne'er forgets, And yearly on the coverlid 'Neath which her darling lieth hid Will write his name in violets.
"To him no vain regrets belong, Whose soul, that finer instrument, Gave to the world no poor lament, But wood-notes ever sweet and strong. O lonely friend! he still will be A potent presence, though unseen,— Steadfast, sagacious, and serene: Seek not for him,—he is with thee."
Sep tember, 1863


BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
By Ralph Waldo Emerson
Henry David Thoreau was the last male descendant of a French ancestor who came to this country from the Isle of Guernsey. His character exhibited occasional traits drawn from this blood in singular combination with a very strong S axon genius.
He was born in Concord, Massachusetts, on the 12th of July, 1817. He was graduated at Harvard College in 1837, but without any literary distinction. An iconoclast in literature, he seldom thanked colleges for their service to him, holding them in small esteem, whilst yet his debt to them was important. After leaving the University, he joined his brother in teaching a private school, which he soon renounced. His father was a manufacturer of lead-pencils, and Henry applied himself for a time to this craft, believing he could make a better pencil than was then in use. After completing his experiments, he exhibited his work to chemists and artists in Boston, and having obtained their certificates to its excellence and to its equality with the best London manufacture, he returned home contented. His friends congratulated him that he had now opened his way to fortune. But he replied, that he should never make another pencil. "Why should I? I would not do again what I have done once." He resumed his endless walks and miscellaneous studies, making every day some new acquaintance with Nature, though as yet never speaking of zoölogy or botany, since, though very studious of natural facts, he was incurious of technical and text ual science.
At this time, a strong, healthy youth, fresh from college, whilst all his companions were choosing their profession, or eager to begin some lucrative employment, it was inevitable that his thoughts should be exercised on the same question, and it required rare decision to refuse all the accustomed paths, and keep his solitary freedom at the cost of disappointing the natural expectations of his family and friends: all the more difficult that he had a perfect probity, was exact in securing his own independence, and in holding every man to the like duty. But Thoreau never faltered. He was a born protestant. He declined to give up his large ambition of knowledge and action for any narrow craft or profession, aiming at a much more comprehensive calling, the art of living well. If he slighted and defied the opinions of others, it was only that he was more intent to reconcile his practice with his own belief. Never idle or self-indulgent, he preferred, when he wanted money, earning it by some piece of manual labor agreeable to him, as building a boat or a fence, planting, grafting, surveying, or other short work, to any long engagements. With his hardy habits and few wants, his skill in wood-craft, and his powerful arithmetic, he was very competent to live in any part of the world. It would cost him less time to supply his wants than another. He was therefore secure of his leisure.
A natural skill for mensuration, growing out of his mathematical knowledge, and his habit of ascertaining the measures and distances of objects which interested him