Henry David Thoreau
Life
Born: 12 July 1817
Died: 6 May 1862
About Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau lived in the mid-nineteenth century during turbulent times in America. He said he was born "in the nick of time" in Concord, Massachusetts, during the flowering of America when the transcendental movement was taking root and when the anti-slavery movement was rapidly gaining momentum.
Thoreau's contemporaries and neighbors were Nathaniel Hawthorne, Bronson Alcott, Margaret Fuller, and his mentor, Ralph Waldo Emerson. He was at once philosopher and naturalist; abolitionist and teacher; scientist and moralist; poet and surveyor; pencil maker and author. It is perhaps the many "lives" of Thoreau, both individually and collectively, that beckon such a diversity of people to his writings.
Unquestionably, Thoreau enjoys greater national and international popularity today than ever before. His books are selling at an unprecedented rate. People are particularly drawn to his belief of finding spirituality in nature - a philosophy woven throughout his books and essays. As our lives become ever more complex, we hunger for simplicity and a communion with nature that Thoreau insists will lead to truth and spiritual renewal.
from The Walden Woods Project [1]
View the Wikipedia article on Henry David Thoreau.
Settings of text by Henry David Thoreau
Publications
External links
The Thoreau Society http://www.thoreausociety.org
The Thoreau Edition http://thoreau.library.ucsb.edu
The Thoreau Project http://www.calliope.org/thoreau/thoreau.html
The Walden Woods Project http://www.walden.org
The Thoreau Farm Trust – His Birthplace http://www.thoreaufarm.org