Henry David Thoreau
(1817–1862)

When Henry David Thoreau died of tuberculosis at the age of 44, his work had received little recognition. Yet he had achieved an inner success that few others have experienced. Speaking at Thoreau's funeral, Ralph Waldo Emerson commented, "The country knows not yet, or in the least part, how great a son it has lost … But he, at least, is content. His soul was made for the noblest society; he had in a short life exhausted the capabilities of this world; wherever there is knowledge, wherever there is virtue, wherever there is beauty, he will find a home."

Thoreau was born and raised in Concord, Massachusetts. After graduating from Harvard, Thoreau became a teacher. When his objection to corporal punishment forced him to quit his first job, he and his older brother John opened their own school. The school was quite successful, but he had to close it when John became ill.

In 1842, Thoreau moved into Emerson's house. He lived there for two years, performing odd jobs to pay for his room and board. Thoreau became Emerson's close friend and devoted disciple. Deciding not to go back to teaching and refusing to pursue another career, Thoreau dedicated himself to testing the Transcendentalist philosophy through experience. By simplifying his needs, Thoreau was able to devote the rest of his life to exploring and writing about the spiritual relationship between humanity and nature and supporting his political and social beliefs.

For two years (1845–1847) Thoreau lived alone in a cabin he built himself at Walden Pond. Thoreau's experience during this period provided him with the material for his masterwork, Walden (1854). Condensing his experiences at Walden Pond into one year, Thoreau used the four seasons as a structural framework for the book. A unique blend of natural observation, social criticism, and philosophical insight, Walden is now generally regarded as the supreme work of Transcendentalist literature.

Though Thoreau's work was for the most part ignored during his lifetime, his reputation has steadily grown since his death. His work has inspired and influenced writers, environmentalists, and social and political leaders. It has made generations of readers aware of the possibilities of the human spirit and the limitations of society.

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