Henry David Thoreau, Walden Quotes

A collection of quotes by Henry David Thoreau, Walden.

Henry David Thoreau was an American essayist, poet, philosopher, and transcendentalist best known for his book Walden. He was born on July 12, 1817, in Concord, Massachusetts, and grew up in a family of modest means. Thoreau was an intellectual and a deeply introspective person who believed in finding spiritual truth through self-reliance and a connection with nature.

Thoreau's most significant work, Walden, was published in 1854 and is a reflection on his experience living in a small cabin in the woods near Walden Pond for over two years. In this masterpiece, he explores the themes of simplicity, solitude, and the importance of living in harmony with nature. Thoreau's observations and philosophical musings in Walden have had a profound influence on American literature and environmental thinking.

Apart from Walden, Thoreau also wrote numerous essays, including the influential essay "Civil Disobedience," in which he argued for individual resistance to unjust laws as a means of effecting societal change. He was a staunch abolitionist and actively involved in the Underground Railroad, harboring escaped slaves in his home.

Although Thoreau was not widely recognized during his lifetime, his works gained significant popularity after his death. His writings continue to inspire people to value simplicity, solitude, and nature, emphasizing the importance of self-discovery and preserving the natural world. Henry David Thoreau died on May 6, 1862, but his ideas and legacy remain pertinent in the modern world.

A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can l

A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can let alone.

Henry David Thoreau, Walden


Shams and delusions are esteemed for soundest truths, while

Shams and delusions are esteemed for soundest truths, while reality is fabulous. If men would steadily observe realities only, and not allow themselves to be deluded, life ... would be like a fairy tale and the Arabian Nights' Entertainments.

Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Reality

I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time

I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude. We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers. A man thinking or working is always alone, let him be where he will. Solitude is not measured by the miles of space that intervene between a man and his fellows.

Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Solitude