Walking Author: | Language: English | ISBN:
B007N40G14 | Format: PDF
Walking Description
Walking is not as well known as Thoreau's other works Walden, The Maine Woods, and Civil Disobedience. But it is a good place to start exploring his writing because it was his last book, in 1862, published by the Atlantic Monthly shortly after his death. It is less well known because it is general, as opposed to singular, in focus. It is his summing up of his thoughts on life: One should saunter through life and take notice; one need not go far (as Thoreau rarely left the 25 square miles of Concord and its population of 1,784, according to the 1840 census.)
This is not a political or ecological book as many advocates have stated; it does support nature, but in a small subtle way. He was a man of his age who possessed a variety of talents and abilities, similar to Jefferson and Franklin. He sought to encourage people to notice and saunter, but did not rail against anyone who chose not to. This was a favorite work of Justice William Douglas, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi. As the liberal jurist Douglas said, This book displays how Thoreau could have been transplanted to any American century and prospered. Jefferson, Franklin, Douglas, King, and Gandhi would be five men who could join him in his appreciation for sauntering and noticing.
- Audible Audio Edition
- Listening Length: 1 hour and 28 minutes
- Program Type: Audiobook
- Version: Unabridged
- Publisher: Simply Magazine
- Audible.com Release Date: December 27, 2011
- Whispersync for Voice: Ready
- Language: English
- ASIN: B007N40G14
Thoreau began WALKING by saying that he wanted to regard man as a part of nature, rather than a part of society. There were already enough people taking up the causes of society and that wasn't his purpose. Thoreau really walked, and sometimes it was for hours, unlike the half-hour walks he mentioned that others told him about and that they probably walked on the highway. He wasn't a highway walker, but instead walked in the forests and fields to observe, appreciate and commune with nature and himself. This freed Thoreau from the everyday problems of life and the civilized world around him.
Beauty was everywhere, even in the swamps, and he mentioned how he would love having a house built right at the edge of a swamp. Even in the first half of the 19th century, Thoreau noticed that forest land was being cut down in order to build houses. He turned out to be very prophetically correct when he said that eventually walking on the earth would mean trespassing on someone else's property, something that we have to be conscious of today. Thoreau spoke of improving "our opportunities, then, before the evil days come." By not taking advantage of getting outdoors and walking and really noticing nature, we would miss the enjoyment of it all.
I found this to be quite inspiring to urge me to get outdoors again and walk, no matter how far or long my endurance lasts. This essay is also very relaxing and thought-provoking to read. I especially loved how he spoke of trees and especially hemlocks, since the hemlock is my favorite tree. Thoreau says that if we listen to the "subtle magnetism" of nature that we will yield to it.
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