Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreauwas an American essayist, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, and historian. A leading transcendentalist, Thoreau is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay Resistance to Civil Government, an argument for disobedience to an unjust state...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionAuthor
Date of Birth12 July 1817
CountryUnited States of America
great mankind poets works
The works of the great poets have never yet been read by mankind, for only great poets can read them
absolutely actual bored commonly confined confusion elements essential far few greater harmony ignorance infer infinite knew law laws mountain nature notions number outline particular points result results scientists seemingly though varies
If we knew all the laws of Nature, we should need only one fact, or the description of one actual phenomenon, to infer all the particular results at that point. Now we know only a few laws, and our result is vitiated, not, of course, by any confusion or irregularity in Nature, but by our ignorance of essential elements in the calculation. Our notions of law and harmony are commonly confined to those instances which we detect; but the harmony which results from a far greater number of seemingly conflicting, but really concurring, laws, which we have not detected, is still more wonderful. The particular laws are as our points of view, as, to the traveler, a mountain outline varies with every step, and it has an infinite number of profiles, though absolutely but one form. Even when cleft or bored through it is not comprehended in its entireness.
company deal great nobody
I have a great deal of company in my house; especially in the morning, when nobody calls.
alone found greater love solitude soon wholesome
I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of time. To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone, I never found the companionable as solitude.
clean conscience greater lower man patch sound stood sure
No man has ever stood the lower in my estimation for having a patch in his cloths; yet I am sure that there is greater anxiety, commonly, to have fashionable, or at least clean and unpatched clothes, than to have a sound conscience
few greater man measure might require seeing shall tape understand understanding
We shall see but little way if we require to understand what we see. How few things can a man measure with the tape of his understanding! How many greater things might he be seeing in the meanwhile!
blessing greatest-blessings
Truly, our greatest blessings are very cheap.
fate destiny greatness
We never conceive the greatness of our fates.
greatness essence poetry
The great poem must have the stamp of greatness as well as its essence.
life carpe-diem greater
There is no more fatal blunderer than he who consumes the greater part of his life getting his living.
seeds great-faith
I have great faith in a seed.
great love narrow reach room sail sea short souls vain voyages wind
In the love of narrow souls I make many short voyages but in vain - I find no sea room - but in great souls I sail before the wind without a watch, and never reach the shore.
asked attended compliment compliments greatest paid
The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked what I thought, and attended to my answer.
greatness important ordinary
Since most of us spend our lives doing ordinary tasks, the most important thing is to carry them out extraordinarily well.