Excursions - Henry David Thoreau

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Résumé :
First published in 1863, Excursions is a collection of essays by American transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau. It contains nine essays in total, as well as a biographical sketch of Thoreau by fellow transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson. The essays are: Natural History of Massachusetts, A Walk to Wachusett, The Landlord, A Winter Walk, The Succession of Forest Trees, Walking, Autumnal Tints, Wild Apples, and Night and Moonlight. Constituting some of Thoreau's most engaging and influential works, the essays represent the notable stages of his writing career from 1842 to 1862. Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) was an American poet, philosopher, essayist, abolitionist, naturalist, development critic, and historian. He was also a leading figure in Transcendentalism. Other notable works by this author include: The Landlord (1843), Reform and the Reformers (1846-48), and Slavery in Massachusetts (1854). Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

Biographie:
Henry David Thoreau was an American author who lived from July 12, 1817, to May 6, 1862. He wrote essays, poems, and philosophical works. More than 20 books, articles, essays, diaries, and poems were written by Thoreau. His works on natural history and philosophy, in which he predicted the methods and results of ecology and environmental history, two sources of modern environmentalism, are some of the things that will last forever. He writes in a way that combines close observation of nature, personal experience, sharp rhetoric, symbolic meanings, and historical knowledge. It has a poetic sensibility, a philosophical austerity, and an attention to practical detail. He was also very interested in how to survive in harsh conditions, as well as in historical change and natural decay. At the same time, he pushed people to give up waste and fantasy in order to find out what life's real needs are. Thoreau fought against slavery his whole life. In his speeches, he criticized the law for fugitive slaves, praised the works of Wendell Phillips, and defended John Brown, who also worked to end slavery....

Sommaire:
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an American philosopher, naturalist, and writer, best known for his book Walden, a reflection on simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay Civil Disobedience, which argues for individual resistance to civil government in moral opposition to an unjust state. Born in Concord, Massachusetts, Thoreau studied at Harvard University, where he developed interests in literature, philosophy, and the natural world. Upon his return to Concord, he became associated with the Transcendentalist movement, engaging with influential figures like Ralph Waldo Emerson, who became his mentor and lifelong friend. Emerson's ideas on individualism and nature deeply influenced Thoreau's work.Thoreau's experiment in simple living began in 1845 when he built a small cabin on Emerson's land by Walden Pond. For two years, he lived there, observing nature, cultivating self-sufficiency, and reflecting on the human condition, experiences he later chronicled in Walden. This work, published in 1854, explores themes of self-reliance, spirituality, and the philosophy of natural living, becoming a seminal text in both environmental literature and American thought. Thoreau's advocacy for living with purpose, minimalism, and a connection to nature has left a lasting influence on generations of readers.In his later years, Thoreau continued to write on a wide range of topics, including history, philosophy, and abolitionism. His commitment to social justice was further demonstrated in Civil Disobedience, written after his brief imprisonment for refusing to pay taxes in protest against slavery and the Mexican-American War. This essay inspired future activists worldwide, including Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., in their struggles for civil rights. Although Thoreau died relatively young from tuberculosis, his works continue to inspire discussions on individualism, ecological consciousness, and the pursuit of a meaningful life....