Walden

A book that influenced simpler, nature-filled lives

Introduction

Books often aren’t written when living alone in the woods. However, that is how Thoreau wrote such a successful book about living closer to nature. Walden was written by Henry David Thoreau, one of Americans most famous writers to date (Biography). This book was published in August of 1854 and became one of the most influential books about conservation and environmentalists. Today, Thoreau is remembered for his philosophical and naturalist writings (Biography).

About the Author

In July 1817, Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts. His mother rented out parts of their house, and his father worked at a pencil company, where Thoreau worked for his father at one point in his future. Thoreau studied multiple languages when he attended Harvard University, such as Greek and Latin. He graduated college in 1838 and met Ralph Waldo Emerson, a fellow writer who became Thoreau’s mentor. (Biography) “Some of Thoreau’s first works were published in The Dial, a Transcendentalist magazine. And Emerson gave Thoreau access to the lands that would inspire one of his greatest works.” (Biography)

This land was on Walden Pond, where Thoreau built a home for himself in 1845. This is where he stayed for two years seeking a similar life away from society, where he wrote Walden. After leaving this place, he still loved and observed nature in areas such as the woods of Maine and the shoreline of Cape Cod. (Biography)

Thoreau battled tuberculosis for many years, especially in his later years. In 1861, Thoreau went to Minnesota in an attempt to restore his health; however, he passed away due to the illness a year later. (Biography) He died on May 6, 1862, but his works still live on to this day.

About the Book

Walden is a book of 18 essays discussing Thoreau’s time living on Walden Pond. Walden writes about self-resilience, simplicity, and spiritual growth (Baumberger). This is about his view of society, giving up material items, simplifying his life, and living closer to nature. “In the book he sets out his beliefs about society and the nature of human existence, saying first that he believes men need not work as hard as they do if they are willing to simplify their lives and follow their own instincts.” (Saviano) “Criticizing society’s spiritually empty obsessions with clothing and elaborate homes, as well as with formal education, travel, and the use of animal labor, he praises the savage man, who is free from the distraction of society’s institutions and lives a simple life.” (Saviano) To demonstrate the idea that man only needs food, water, shelter, clothing, and fuel, he lives in a small cabin he had built and has a bean field takes care of for money (Saviano).

During his time at Walden Pond, he talks about his surroundings, the animals, and the people he encounters. He discusses meeting John Field, who is a man way too caught up in the materials of life to try living as Thoreau has. When he gets lonely, he goes to the village, but as winter comes, he discusses how it can get lonely, so he distracts himself by the ice on the pond. The ice melts when spring comes around and serves as a reminder of the immortality and connection between man and nature (Saviano). According to Saviano, “After more than two years, Thoreau leaves Walden transformed by the experience. He urges each man to explore the uncharted territories within him, to obey only the laws of his own being, and to devote his life to the work he cares about, no matter how poor he is.”

The Legacy

Walden is considered an influential book for many environmentalists and nature lovers. One of the many impacts this book had on many generations is to forget fame and money and instead seek simpler lives closer to nature. “For Thoreau, truth meant simplicity and a one-ness with the world around him. This truth has inspired many others to seek it.” (Baumberger) One of these people inspired by the book was Don Henley, who started a nonprofit to preserve the forest surrounding Walden Pond (Baumberger). He is one of many individuals influenced by conservation and has taken action to live a life closer to nature.

Work Cited

Baumberger, Casey. “Deliberate Living — Casey Baumberger.” Medium, 16 Dec. 2021, casey-61562.medium.com/deliberate-living-bb3149e29505.

Biography. “Henry David Thoreau.” Biography, May 27, 2021, www.biography.com/writer/henry-david-thoreau.

Saviano, Andrew. “Walden Plot Summary.” LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, September 15 2013. Web. July 19, 2022.