Walden
The Influence of Thoreau
Introduction and Thesis
There has been a plethora of books throughout the years that have been considered influential, but last summer when the Library of Congress put out the most recent list, they included the work by Henry David Thoreau, “Walden.” While not initially widely received, critics have come to call it an American classic. Walden is considered an influential book because of its aspects and views of self-reliance, progress, and simplicity. One critic stated that “Walden is viewed not only as a philosophical treatise on labor, leisure, self-reliance, and individualism but also as an influential piece of nature writing. It is considered Thoreau’s masterwork.” (Lowne)
About The Author
Thoreau, a graduate of Harvard University, was born and raised in Concord, MA, where he could have an upbringing that allowed him to enjoy the outdoors. He spent much of his life near the forests and the rivers, and it is known that “he was happiest when he was alone in the woods.” (Sanna) It was this love of nature and independence that led him to be “regarded as the premier philosopher-poet of Transcendentalism, Henry David Thoreau is remembered for acting on his principles and pursuing a consistent lifelong purpose of self-reliance and self-government, living in harmony with nature and with the larger society.” (Wayne) With a style of writing heavy with metaphors, observations, and reflections, usually worked together poetically. He is most noted for his writings “Walden” and “Civil Disobedience,” he is considered one of the most influential thinkers of his time. While he never married, he and his brother both proposed to the same woman, Ellen Sewall, “but both were refused because her father didn’t approve of anyone associated with Transcendentalism.” (Raga)
About The Book
Walden is a book that Thoreau wrote while living a very simple life, in a cabin he built by himself in the forest near his hometown in Concord, MA. Thoreau feels dismayed by society’s fixation on money and status over the importance of wisdom and life experiences, leading him to live a life with only the bare necessities to survive and then focus on growing spiritually and intellectually. Thoreau also puts a great emphasis on being self-reliant and the simplicity of life. In this writing, Thoreau makes clear that the best way to live a fulfilled life is to live a life of simple means and that wisdom, not riches, is where the true values of life lie.
Thoreau urges his audience of readers to truly appreciate the beauty of nature for what it is, in the same way, that he watches the seasons change or sees the reflections off of the pond. He spends much of his time and effort thinking about human nature in general and determines that philosophical works is the best way to grow a person’s own mind. While he is living in the woods at Walden Pond, Thoreau was mostly but not completely alone. While in the woods, he would be able to hear some of the sounds of the town nearby, such as the train as it would pass or the church bells on Sunday, and even receive the occasional visitor, and enjoying conversations with other people seeking to live a simple lifestyle similar to how he was.
Legacy
Walden has been read by millions of people worldwide, with hundreds of different editions and having been translated into dozens of languages. Because of this, “It has influenced conservationists, writers, philosophers, activists, and individuals of all professions and passions.” (The Thoreau Institute) Thoreau's simple life while writing Walden and the sense of self-reliance reach people on a deep level. Especially in today’s more modern and fast-paced world, where so many people focus on building wealth and material items, Thoreau’s minimal lifestyle is a real look back in time to when things were much less complicated.
Thoreau’s love of nature and the forests so clearly expressed within Walden greatly impacted the development of transcendentalism in America. So much of an impact that even on the opposite coast of the U.S. John Muir was inspired. Muir noticed the overuse of grazing land and the excessive deforestation of the Yosemite Valley in California. He began to work to have the valley included as a national park. Muir took President Theodore Roosevelt on their own camping trip in the woods; President Roosevelt took Yosemite Valley under national control upon their return. Muir went on to found the Sierra Club, an environmental advocacy organization that is still active even today. None of this would have ever been possible if it hadn’t been for the influence Muir felt from reading about Walden pond.
We can learn a lot from Thoreau’s time a Walden pond, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life.” He wondered if he had ever actually lived, and by living in solitude, he was able to contemplate what he felt he wanted and needed in life. Thankfully, he wrote about his entire experience while doing this life experiment. Now, other people who wish to discover more about themselves can read about what he did and what he learned and apply that to their own lives. Not everybody can go live in the woods for two years by themselves to learn to be self-reliant and discover things about themselves, but so many people have been able to read about his time a Walden Pond and apply the things that Thoreau learned to their own lives.
Works Cited
Lowne, Cathy. “Walden.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/Walden. Accessed Nov. 28, 2020.
Raga, Suzanne. “11 Facts About Henry David Thoreau.” Mental Floss, 12 July, 2018, www.mentalfloss.com/article/82020/11-simple-facts-about-henry-david-thoreau. Accessed Nov. 28, 2020.
Sanna, Ellyn. “Thoreau, Henry David.” Henry David Thoreau, Chelsea House, 2003. Bloom’s Literature, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=95547&itemid=WE54&articleId=1528. Accessed Nov. 25, 2020.
The Thoreau Institute. “Thoreau’s Legacy.” The Walden Woods Project, www.walden.org/education/for-students/thoreaus-legacy/. Accessed Nov. 25, 2020.
Wayne, Tiffany K. “Thoreau, Henry David.” Encyclopedia of Transcendentalism, Facts on File, 2006. Bloom’s Literature, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=95547&itemid=WE54&articleId=39924. Accessed 26 Nov. 2020.
