Date post: | 04-Jul-2015 |
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Henry David Thoreau1817-1862
Henry David Thoreau was a famous naturalist and writer
of the 19th century. He lived in Concord,
Massachusetts.
He is most famous for his book Walden, published in
1854. Walden is a philosophical memoir about living
alone in a cabin in the woods. He lived in the woods as
an experiment in simplifying his life.
Thoreau is still influential today, especially to the
environmentalist movement and to nature writers.
An old photo of your professor posing with a
Thoreau impersonator at the spot where
Thoreau’s cabin stood. (Some people really get
into their Thoreau fandom.)
A replica of Thoreau’s cabin and
a statue of Thoreau walking towards the pond.
Walden Pond
Walden Pond
The Lyceum Movement
The Lyceum Movement happened in the years leading
up to the Civil War. “Lyceum” is an old word for “school.”
Across the country, groups of people formed local
lyceum associations to sponsor adult education events
and entertainment. It was like having live TEDTalks in
your hometown.
(Interested? You can watch some TEDTalks about
nature here: http://www.ted.com/topics/nature )
“Walking”
“Walking” was the lecture Thoreau gave most frequently
at various lyceum events. He wrote it in 1851, after he’d
finished writing Walden.
At the top of his handwritten copy of his lecture, Thoreau
wrote “I regard this as a sort of introduction to all I may
write hereafter.”
“Walking” sums up his philosophy of life.
Did you read “Walking”? What did you think?
In “Walking,” Thoreau uses an
extended metaphor about
crusades to the holy land. The
original crusades were
religious wars of the middle
ages in which European
Christians fought to gain
control of Jerusalem (“the
Holy Land”). Pilgrims were
people making a spiritual
journey (pilgrimage) to a
sacred spot. How does
Thoreau use the idea of a
holy land in “Walking”?
Crusades to the Holy Land
Crusading Knights
Manifest Destiny“Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way,” painted by Emanuel
Leutze. This painting is a mural in the Capitol building in Washington
DC.
Manifest Destiny is the idea that the United States
is/was just naturally destined to expand westward
across North America to the Pacific Ocean. How
does the idea of Manifest Destiny relate to
“Walking”?
Would you call Thoreau’s essay patriotic? Why or
why not?
Speaking for NatureThoreau says he wants to speak for Nature rather than Culture.
He asks, “Where is the literature that gives expression to
Nature?”
Thoreau values what he calls “wild” literature over “tame”
literature.
Thoreau wants people to learn a “tawny grammar” not taught in
schools.
Can you think of any books or films that accomplish what
Thoreau asks for here? Do you know any books or films that
speak for nature, for the wild, in a “tawny grammar”? Is it even
possible for humans to write or film such a thing?
Are humans wild or
tame?Thoreau quotes the Vishnu Purana (an important Hindu
scripture): “That is knowledge which is for our liberation.”
Thoreau says, “Above all, we cannot afford not to live in the
present” if we want to be free. He condemns laws that upheld
slavery. He was an advocate of literal freedom, not just
philosophical freedom.
Do your studies at NCC provide knowledge for your liberation?
Do you think you are free?
Are you a saunterer?
Is your neighborhood walkable? The idea of neighborhood
walkability considers whether residents can do most of their
errands on foot rather than being dependent on a car. Walkability
is often considered in conjunction with access to public
transportation.
You can check your neighborhood’s WalkScore at the WalkScore
website: http://www.walkscore.com (Just ignore the real estate
ads; the walkability information is still good.)
How does your neighborhood’s WalkScore affect your life? Do
these effects connect to any of Thoreau’s concerns in “Walking”?
How much do you walk? Are you a saunterer?