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 did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. 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.

Summary

This quote, from Henry David Thoreau's book Walden, expresses his motivation for retreating into nature. Thoreau explains that he went to the woods to live intentionally, to experience only the most essential aspects of life and discover its true teachings. He wanted to avoid the regret of reaching the end of life and realizing that he hadn't truly lived. Thoreau expresses his desire to embrace life fully, rejecting anything that is not truly life. He aspires to live deeply, extracting the essence of life and reducing it to its simplest form through a deliberate and purposeful existence.