Despite his premature death due to tuberculosis at the age of forty-four, American writer and philosopher Henry David Thoreau was highly prolific nonetheless. Over the course of his life, he produced a plentiful variety of books, essays, articles, and poetry that now exist as over twenty volumes.
Finding self-reliance in Nature.
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived…I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms…
Walden; or Life in the Woods
This famous and frequently quoted passage from ‘Walden; or Life in the Woods’ summarizes Thoreau’s motivational goals for the work. In doing so, he also introduces the core tenets of its transcendental beliefs, which include a desire to enrich their lives by embracing simplicity, intentionality, and fostering self-reliance. All of these lessons were intended to be gleaned through nature. By immersing in a rural setting and isolating himself from the rest of society, Thoreau acknowledges the emotional connection between humanity and the natural world.
The individual does not conform.
I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion.
Civil Disobedience
‘Civil Disobedience’ discourages individuals from acquiescing to an unjust government, imparting the responsibility of citizens to defiantly rebuke them. The above quotation conveys Thoreau’s fierce belief that an individual cannot be compelled to accept such horrific inequities like slavery or support conflicts that they did not agree with like the Mexican-American war.
The beautiful development and evolution of language.
Language is the most perfect work of art in the world. The chisel of a thousand years retouches it.
Journal, July 27, 1840
Thoreau had a deep love for books because of the knowledge they held. That ardent appreciation extended from the written word to language itself, to meaningful and revelatory communication. It is a tool and art form all in one that has been honed over thousands of years — its importance is shared across all human cultures and is one of the unifying attributes of our species.
The equitable dispersion of the wisdom found in books.
Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations.
Walden; or Life in the Woods
Thoreau recognizes books as a precious and affluent gift. One that should be not just shared amongst the world but is also the birthright of all “generations and nations.” In other words, he firmly believes an equitable exchange of books amongst all people benefits humanity as a whole.
Poetry should be naturally plain and subtly wise.
Good poetry seems so simple and natural a thing that when we meet it we wonder that all men are not always poets.
Journal, November 30, 1841
Many writers and critics have waxed over the characteristics of “good poetry.” In Thoreau’s mind, a quality verse is “simple and natural,” echoing two ideals of transcendentalism in the process. Given his respect for truth, it is understandable that he values unvarnished poetry that illustrates meaning over aesthetic beauty. It is also communicated and comprehended by everyone.
The importance of grounding your dreams in reality.
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.
Walden; or Life in the Woods
Thoreau praises the imaginative and lofty goals devised by the human spirit. A thing does not lose value because it has not yet been made tangible or rendered into a physical form. Be it an idea or a personal goal, it all starts with a dream in the mind. All that is left to do is give those visions a foundation — to actualize them and make them accessible to those on the ground.
Human experience is essential to writing.
How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.
Journal, August 19, 1851
The writer who avoids experiencing things for themselves first-hand will always be lacking something essential in their work — the imagination can only take one so far. You need to go out into the world, colliding with other minds and personalities, returning only when you have an abundance of material to contemplate and mold into something worth reading.
Marching to the beat of your own drum.
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.
Walden; or Life in the Woods
Individuality and self-reliance are two highly regarded ideals of transcendentalism. This quote emphasizes both through another Thoreau metaphor that uses concepts related to music to articulate its point. If one member of a group finds themselves out of sync with the rest, it is not the fault of either the group or the individual. Like the idiom that advises one to march to the beat of their own drum, Thoreau endorses a purposeful search for identity as opposed to forced conformity.
Laws are not innately fair or moral.
Law never made men a whit more just; and, by means of their respect for it, even the well-disposed are daily made the agents of injustice.
Civil Disobedience
Thoreau takes aim at unjust laws in this quote from ‘Civil Disobedience.’ Just because something is codified into law and enforced by the government does not mean it is moral. Nor does the presence of laws in a society make men less prejudiced or kind to their fellow man — it simply enforces a rule — one that can be interpreted and abused. The acceptance of lawful injustice then makes every citizen complicit.
The stifling conformity of education.
What does education often do? It makes a straight-cut ditch of a free, meandering brook.
Journal, November 1850
Ever cautious over the blind acceptance of institutions that enforce conformity rather than cultivating individuality, Thoreau had his fair share of criticisms of academia. This quote succinctly conveys his distaste for the goals of higher education, which in his opinion is more concerned with streamlining knowledge as opposed to encouraging and aiding curious minds in their growth.
Be straightforward in your communication of an idea or statement.
As for style of writing—if one has any thing to say, it drops from him simply and directly, as stone falls to the ground.
Letter to Daniel Ricketson, August 18, 1857
Similar to his views on good poetry, Thoreau believes all cogent writing is simple and direct. He makes his point with another nature metaphor. Any statement weighty with meaning should be articulated in the same manner as a stone being dropped to the ground: without embellishment and immediately to the point.
The human tendency to not address the source of a problem.
There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.
Walden; or Life in the Woods
Here, Thoreau reveals his talent for succinct metaphors, which he employs throughout ‘Walden; or Life in the Woods.’ Ultimately, the quote identifies the difficulty of uprooting malignant elements in society. Far too many people are solely concerned with stopping the symptoms and consequences of evil — illustrated by the hacked-away branches — while too few are addressing the root of the problem.
The lofty purpose of friendship.
In friendship we worship moral beauty without the formality of religion.
Journal, 1837-1847
Like fellow transcendentalist Walt Whitman, Thoreau regarded fellowship and camaraderie as two important ideals that every individual should foster for themselves. Here, he elevates the importance of friendship by likening it to religion, though unhindered by its formalities. When two people become friends there are no pretenses or obstructions like a shared belief in a deity or faith. Their bond is as virtuous and sublime a connection as any spiritual one.
Social ostracizing as a consequence of civil disobedience.
I saw to what extent the people among whom I lived could be trusted as good neighbors and friends; that their friendship was for summer weather only; that they did not greatly propose to do right; that they were a distinct race from me by their prejudices and superstitions…
Civil Disobedience
Through his experiences with civil disobedience, Thoreau learned a valuable lesson regarding the social fallout that follows a public rejection of unjust laws. How quickly “good neighbors and friends” turn their back on you — exposing not a desire “to do right” but to sheepishly accept what is immoral — because of their “prejudices and superstitions.” One person taking a stand against that which they cannot accept reveals what others will frighteningly allow.
The preservation of nature.
I should be glad if all the meadows on the earth were left in a wild state, if that were the consequence of men’s beginning to redeem themselves.
Walden; or Life in the Woods
As a transcendentalist, Thoreau possessed a profound reverence for the environment as a place of revelatory beauty, especially as a temporary escape from societal woes. Yet it also manifested through urgent calls for conservation — to leave the landscape untamed and untouched by the urbanization that people bring with them. Unsurprisingly, he sees in such a conscious choice to put nature first the beginnings of spiritual redemption.
Advocating for the protection of all life on earth — not just humans.
Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine-trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it.
The Maine Woods
Thoreau, although not exclusively a vegetarian, did express a preference for such a diet. The above quote reveals that one of the reasons for these dietary restrictions is his reverence for the life of all creatures — not just humans. Of course, this appreciation extends to flora as well as fauna, which is also why he was a staunch conservationist.
Organizing American communities around the conservation of its natural beauty.
Each town should have a park, or rather a primitive forest, of five hundred or a thousand acres, where a stick should never be cut for fuel, a common possession forever, for instruction and recreation. We hear of cow-commons and ministerial lots, but we want men-commons and lay lots, inalienable forever.
Journal, October 15, 1859
The United States National Park Service wasn’t established until 1916, yet decades before its creation figures like Walt Whitman and John Muir were advocating for the protection and preservation of the nation’s many idyllic landscapes. Thoreau was another champion of conservation efforts with books like ‘Walden; or Life in the Woods’ or ‘The Maine Woods’ espousing his ardent desire to keep certain areas wild and untouched by urban life. In this prescient quote, he outlines the possibility of parks and forests being left uncultivated for “instruction and recreation,” his words foreshadowing the establishment of National and State parks.
The primacy of truth over other ideals and material concerns.
Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.
Walden; or Life in the Woods
Thoreau’s adherence to transcendentalism meant he perceived the immaterial, one’s ideas or spirituality, as being far more crucial to life than what was material. Social advantages such as fame or fortune and even the benefits of romantic ideals like love were less sought after compared to truth. The reason for this logic is Thoreau’s ascetic desire to observe and enjoy life at its purest and most unadorned level.
FAQs
Apart from being a leader of the transcendentalist movement, many of his works had resounding impacts on figures of the 20th century. From Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. citing ‘Civil Disobedience’ as an influence on their non-violent protests to ‘Walden; of Life in the Woods’ forecasting everything from nature writing to modern-day environmentalism.
Thoreau was born in Concord, MA, and spent the majority of his life in its vicinity. Within the boundaries of the town was Walden Pond — which belonged to friend and fellow transcendentalist Raph Waldo Emerson — who allowed him to live and work the land for two years. His experiences and contemplations between July 1845 and September 1847 would comprise his seminal work ‘Walden; or Life in the Woods.’
Thoreau advocated for the non-payment of taxes as a means of protesting the government’s upholding of slavery. He was also briefly imprisoned for the refusal to pay a poll tax. As a lifelong abolitionist, he also acted as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, pushing back against the Fugitive Slave Act and also lionized the cause of John Browne.
