Walking

By Henry David Thoreau

"Walking" is an essay by Henry David Thoreau based on a lecture originally delivered at the Concord Lyceum on April 23, 1851. Within it, Thoreau carefully explores the important relationship between nature and mankind. Thoreau considered it to be one of his best works, and repeatedly rewrote it during the 1850s. This volume will appeal to fans of Transcendental literature, and it would make for a wonderful addition to any collection. Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) was an American poet, philosopher, essayist, abolitionist, naturalist, development critic, and historian. He was also a leading figure in Transcendentalism, and is best known for his book "Walden", a treatise on simple living in a natural environment. Other notable works by this author include: "The Landlord" (1843), "Reform and the Reformers" (1846-48), and "Slavery in Massachusetts" (1854). Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Dec 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9781473346543

Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an American writer, thinker, naturalist, and leading transcendental philosopher. Graduating from Harvard, Thoreau’s academic fortitude inspired much of his political thought and lead to him being an early and unequivocal adopter of the abolition movement. This ideology inspired his writing of Civil Disobedience and countless other works that contributed to his influence on society. Inspired by the principals of transcendental philosophy and desiring to experience spiritual awakening and enlightenment through nature, Thoreau worked hard at reforming his previous self into a man of immeasurable self-sufficiency and contentment. It was through Thoreau’s dedicated pursuit of knowledge that some of the most iconic works on transcendentalism were created.

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WALKING

BY

HENRY DAVID THOREAU

Copyright © 2016 Read Books Ltd.

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

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the British Library

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 shaving 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 Flaccus (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 Government (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

Reviews for Walking

[bnielsen_30 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Indeholder "Ole Jacobsen: Indledning", "Om at vandre", "En vintervandring"."Ole Jacobsen: Indledning" handler om ???"Om at vandre" handler om ???"En vintervandring" handler om ???

[benjaminsiegel-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Best thing he ever wrote; probably the greatest essay by any of the Transcendentalists. Its greatest paragraph: "My desire for knowledge is intermittent, but my desire to bathe my head in atmospheres unknown to my feet is perennial and constant. The highest that we can attain to is not Knowledge, but Sympathy with Intelligence. I do not know that this higher knowledge amounts to anything more definite than a novel and grand surprise on a sudden revelation of the insufficiency of all that we called Knowledge before—a discovery that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in our philosophy."

[emma_manolis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was my second reading of "Walking" and, this time, I chose to read it in nature. That really made all the difference. I found myself hating it this last fall when I read it in the confines of my tiny little room. Surrounding myself in nature and allowing myself to annotate in the margins made me feel like Thoreau and I were on our own walk, having a conversation. Just like any long conversation there were moments I began to zone out and think about other things but overall it is a wonderful read and an experience I will probably have again.

[danielstj · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An absolutely elegant and beautiful piece of writing. Thoreau soars and astounds with his mesmerizing prose that touches on many different themes seamlessly, yet inclusively-- privately. This is not one to be mixed.Recommended.