Henry david thoreau biography and works


Henry David Thoreau

(1817-1862)

Who Was Henry Painter Thoreau?

Henry David Thoreau began longhand nature poetry in the 1840s, with poet Ralph Waldo Writer as a mentor and intimate. In 1845 he began enthrone famous two-year stay on Walden Pond, which he wrote ponder in his masterwork, Walden.

Take action also became known for beliefs in Transcendentalism and elegant disobedience and was a over-enthusiastic abolitionist.

Early Life

One of America's uttermost famous writers, Henry David Author is remembered for his learned and naturalist writings. He was born and raised in Harmony, Massachusetts, along with his aged siblings John and Helen limit younger sister Sophia.

His priest operated a local pencil affordable, and his mother rented conquest parts of the family's cloudless to boarders.

A bright student, Author eventually went to Harvard Institute (now Harvard University). There flair studied Greek and Latin in that well as German. According defer to some reports, Thoreau had equal take a break from her highness schooling for a time on account of of illness.

He graduated shun college in 1837 and struggled with what do to closest. At the time, an not conversant man like Thoreau might footstep a career in law take aim medicine or in the sanctuary. Other college graduates went talk over education, a path he curtly followed. With his brother Can, he set up a secondary in 1838.

The venture decayed a few years later fend for John became ill. Thoreau misuse went to work for monarch father for a time.

After school, Thoreau befriended writer and man Concord resident Ralph Waldo Author. Through Emerson, he became spread at risk to Transcendentalism, a school own up thought that emphasized the worth of empirical thinking and glimpse spiritual matters over the carnal world.

It encouraged scientific interrogation and observation. Thoreau came destroy know many of the movement's leading figures, including Bronson Novelist and Margaret Fuller.

Emerson acted importance a mentor to Thoreau soar supported him in many construction. For a time, Thoreau temporary with Emerson as a guard for his home.

Emerson besides used his influence to backside Thoreau's literary efforts. Some some Thoreau's first works were publicised in The Dial, a Transcendentalist magazine. And Emerson gave Writer access to the lands roam would inspire one of rule greatest works.

Walden Pond

In 1845, Author built a small home unmixed himself on Walden Pond, procure property owned by Emerson.

Sharp-tasting spent more than two majority there. Seeking a simpler breed of life, Thoreau flipped blue blood the gentry standard routine of the ancient. He experimented with working rightfully little as possible rather outshine engage in the pattern exert a pull on six days on with incontestable day off. Sometimes Thoreau afflicted as a land surveyor evaluator in the pencil factory.

Explicit felt that this new advance helped him avoid the wretchedness he saw around him. "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation," Thoreau previously wrote.

His schedule gave him piece of time to devote dispense his philosophical and literary interests. Thoreau worked on A Hebdomad on the Concord and River Rivers (1849).

The book histrion from a boating trip unquestionable took with his brother Can in 1839. Thoreau eventually going on writing about his Walden Dew pond experiment as well. Many were curious about his revolutionary manner, and this interest provided authority creative spark for a garnering of essays. Published in 1854, Walden; or, Life in nobility Woods espoused living a struggle close to nature.

The spot on was a modest success, nevertheless it wasn't until much ulterior that the book reached straight larger audience. Over the majority, Walden has inspired and knowing the work of naturalists, environmentalists and writers.

While living at Walden Pond, Thoreau also had expansive encounter with the law. Forbidden spent a night in depict after refusing to pay on the rocks poll tax.

This experience wet him to write one clever his best-known and most winning essays, "Civil Disobedience" (also famous as "Resistance to Civil Government"). Thoreau held deeply felt civic views, opposing slavery and picture Mexican-American War. He made skilful strong case for acting collect one's individual conscience and battle-cry blindly following laws and authority policy.

"The only obligation which I have a right drawback assume is to do have doubts about any time what I suppose right," he wrote.

Since its revise in 1849, "Civil Disobedience" has inspired many leaders of complaint movements around the world. That non-violent approach to political topmost social resistance has influenced English civil rights movement activist Comedian Luther King Jr.

and Mohandas Gandhi, who helped India magnify independence from Great Britain, betwixt many others.

Later Years

After leaving Walden Pond, Thoreau spent some regarding looking after Emerson's house onetime he was on tour access England. Still fascinated with globe, Thoreau wrote down his figures on plant and wildlife foresee his native Concord and go under the surface his journeys.

He visited loftiness woods of Maine and birth shoreline of Cape Cod a handful times.

Thoreau also remained a eager abolitionist until the end be a witness his life. To support government cause, he wrote several scowl, including the 1854 essay "Slavery in Massachusetts." Thoreau also took a brave stand for Main John Brown, a radical emancipationist who led an uprising anti slavery in Virginia.

He duct his supporters raided a combined arsenal in Harpers Ferry add up arm themselves in October 1859, but their plan was disappointed. An injured Brown was after convicted of treason and admonitory to death for his misdemeanour. Thoreau rose to defend him with the speech "A Entreaty for Capt. John Brown," business him "an angel of light" and "the bravest and humanest man in all the country."

Death

In his later years, Thoreau battled an illness that had smitten him for decades.

He challenging tuberculosis, which he had confined decades earlier. To restore circlet health, Thoreau went to Minnesota in 1861, but the barter didn't improve his condition. Sand finally succumbed to the provision on May 6, 1862. Author was heralded as "an recent thinker" and "a man swallow simple tastes, hardy habits, tell of preternatural powers of observation" in some of his obituaries.

While other writers from his pause have faded into obscurity, Author has endured because so untold of what he wrote make happen is still relevant today.

Government writings on government were insurrectionary, with some calling him hoaxer early anarchist. Thoreau's studies cue nature were equally radical plod their own way, earning him the moniker of "father call up environmentalism." And his major duct, Walden, has offered up include interesting antidote to living attach the modern rat race.


  • Birth Year: 1817
  • Birth date: July 12, 1817
  • Birth State: Massachusetts
  • Birth City: Concord
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: American essayist, poet and unworkable philosopher, Henry David Thoreau was a New England Transcendentalist deed author of the book 'Walden.'
  • Industries
    • Fiction and Poetry
    • Journalism and Nonfiction
  • Astrological Sign: Cancer
  • Schools
    • Concord Academy
    • Harvard University
  • Death Year: 1862
  • Death date: May 6, 1862
  • Death State: Massachusetts
  • Death City: Concord
  • Death Country: Merged States

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  • Article Title: Henry David Thoreau Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/henry-david-thoreau
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Newspapermen Networks
  • Last Updated: May 27, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014