henry david thoreau

anyone else read walden and civil disobedience? what a nifty thinker eh? do you have any favorite quotes from walden? check this one out…

“society is commonly too cheap. we meet at very short intervals, not having had time to acquire any new value for each other. we meet at meals three times a day, and give each other a new taste of that old musty cheese that we are.”

sheesh. it goes on but that is so true in most cases. any comments?

A friend mentioned to Thoreau thet the state legislature was starting their new session.
Thoreau remarked, “I must go to town and buy a new padlock for my door.”

that is rich. are the great thinkers slowly going the way of the buffalo?

“My head is hands and feet.” Page 136 or so.

Not from Walden, but from Civil Disobedience:

Here’s the bit from Walden I have under the glass on my desk:

There’s also a Thoreau quotation site I have bookmarked.

nice quotes. i truly respect this man. i am in awe at his understanding of life. maybe we should get together and do fly bys on gang infested neighborhoods, get them to read someo f these great works and maybe, just maybe they could see what they are missing in life…

I’ve had to read “Civil Disobedience” in two different English classes in high school now and I think it’s absolutely brilliant.

I’ve always really liked the part that says something to the effect of, “In an unjust society, the just place for an honest man is in a jail.” Can anyone get me an exact quote on this? Please?

When we read it in high school, I remember thinking it was funny that he had only spent one night in prison or something like that.

Not only was he an expert on on the trials and tribulations of prison life, but he was the perfect example of an honest man in an unjust society.

::shriek:: That’s where I got my user name from.

I adore my Henry. I don’t know that I can pick just one quote, so here are a few favorites:

from Walden, at the end of The Ponds chapter:
“Nature has no human inhabitant who appreciates her. The birds with their plumage and their notes are in harmony with the flowers, but what youth or maiden conspires with the wild luxuirant beauty of Nature? She flourishes most alone, far from the towns where they reside. Talk of heaven! ye disgrace earth.”

from Walden, beginning of Solitude:
“This is a delicious evening, when the whole body is one sense and imbibes delight through every pore.”

from The Maine Woods, near the end of Ktaadn:
“I stand in awe of my body, this matter to which I am bound has become so strange to me. I fear not spirits, ghosts, of which I am one, – that my body might, – but I fear bodies, I tremble to meet them. What is this Titan that has possession of me? Talk of mysteries! Think of our life in nature, – daily to be shown matter, to come in contact with it, – rocks, trees, wind on our cheeks! the solid earth! the actual world! the common sense! Contact! Contact! Who are we? where are we?”

::swoon::

Ahhhhh, good old David Thoreau, both the bane and the joy of my existance in American Lit I.
There are too many great quotes to pick a favorite.

Why, hello fish in the sky. :slight_smile: Can’t believe I never noticed your user name before. Very nice.