Thoreau' Early Life
Thoreau was born in Concord on July 12, 1817 and remained there throughout his life. His family worked very hard but were never rich. His dad owned a pencil factory and the family had to take in boarders just to afford the costs of living (Otfinoski). In Concord, Thoreau was always surrounded by nature and embraced it (Wayne). Thoreau studied at Concord Academy and then went to college at Harvard (Otfinoski). Thoreau met Emerson after college and became a teacher for a brief period of time. Later, he lived with Emerson's family for two years where he helped out with the handiwork (Wayne). Emerson introduced Thoreau to his fellow transcendentalist friends like Margaret Fuller and Bronson Alcott. Emerson also gave Thoreau the idea of keeping a journal and writing his experiences and thoughts in it everyday (Otfinoski). Emerson became the most important mentor for Thoreau during his life.
Experience at Walden PondThoreau decided to build a cabin on the shore of Walden Pond, which was actually on Emerson's land. He was "attracted to the ideal of a solitary life in nature, living
according to his own philosophy" (Wayne). He started living in his cabin
on July 4th, 1845 and lived there until September 1847. Thoreau had to work
very hard while living on Walden Pond. In order to get food, he planted two
acres of vegetables and fished in the pond. He read, studied, wrote in his
journal and even played his flute occasionally. Thoreau was not completely
isolated though. Many of his friends visited and he traveled to the village to
find out the latest gossip and to visit his parents (Otfinoski). Thoreau wrote
down his thoughts and experiences while at Walden and this later became his
famous book Walden. The book is about, "one man's inner life and
how he is changed by experience. By stripping his life down to the essentials,
Thoreau came to recognize the true meaning of life in all its mystery and
beauty"(Otfinoski).
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What were Thoreau's beliefs?
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Fun Facts!
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Quote from Walden"I left the woods for as good a reason as I went there. Perhaps it seemed to me that I had several more lives to live, and could not spare any more time for that one. It is remarkable how easily and insensibly we fall into a particular route, and make a beaten track for ourselves"
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AnalysisThoreau went to Walden in order to challenge himself and get out of his usual routine. However, living at Walden became his new routine and comfort zone. Thoreau believes we must live deliberately in order to really live. Thus, in order to do so we must always challenge ourselves. Once we become comfortable doing something we should move onto something else. Therefore, Thoreau is ready to create new paths in his life.
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More Passages from Walden"Direct your eye right inward, and you'll find /A thousand regions in your mind / Yet undiscovered. / Travel them, and be / Expert in home-cosmography….Let them wander and scrutinize the outlandish Australians. I have more of God, they more of the road."
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(For the full text of Walden click HERE)
"Why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed and in such desperate enterprises? 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." |
"However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is" |