Excursions, and Poems

Thoreau, Henry David, 1817-1862Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.8
Word count
640K words
Chapters
65

Tags

English Originals Essays and MiscellanyModern Poetry Field RamblesNature EssayNature ObservationLife PhilosophySpiritual PracticeSlow ReadingTranscendentalismIntellectual CommentaryPoems and EssaysTraditional Aesthetics

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Excursions, and Poems by Henry David ThoreauAuthor: Thoreau, Henry David, 1817-1862,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Apr 16, 2013

Editor's review

Excursions, and Poems gathers Thoreau's essays and poems and is an important entry point for understanding how he turned natural observation into spiritual practice. Unlike the systematic long form of Walden, these pieces are shorter and closer to walking and everyday gazing: natural-history interest, transcendental temperament, and concern with simple living intertwine. Its value lies not in conclusions but in modeling an attention that slows down to see the world. The language is nineteenth-century English prose, with unhurried syntax and concrete imagery; it suits reading in segments rather than in one sitting. For Chinese readers, an annotated edition or a reliable translation for comparison is recommended; read one essay then one poem to feel how the same natural theme varies across two genres.

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Reading tips

  1. Divide the book into short reading sessions, pairing one essay with one poem each time and leaving time for reflection.
  2. Carry a notebook and record similar natural details you observe, comparing them with the text.
  3. Read a piece first, then look up background, so transcendental concepts do not overwhelm the reading experience.
  4. Choose a favorite English passage for reading aloud or imitation to feel its syntax and rhythm.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
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  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
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  11. 11
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  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36
  37. 37
  38. 38
  39. 39
  40. 40
  41. 41
  42. 42
  43. 43
  44. 44
  45. 45
  46. 46
  47. 47
  48. 48
  49. 49
  50. 50
  51. 51
  52. 52
  53. 53
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  58. 58
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  60. 60
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  62. 62
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FAQ

How is this book related to Walden? Both belong to Thoreau's nature-writing vein, but this book collects essays and poems that are shorter and more varied in theme, making it a light entry into Thoreau. Reading Walden afterward makes it easier to understand how he expanded everyday observation into systematic thought.
How difficult is the English, and what foundation is needed? It is nineteenth-century English prose with longer sentences and more formal vocabulary, but it is not academic theory. University-level English reading ability is enough to try it; use an annotated edition or compare with a translation, grasp the main clause of long sentences first, and do not struggle word by word.
Should I read the poems or the essays first? You can read the essays first to establish context, then the poems for condensed expression; or reverse the order and warm up with short poems. The key is not to read too much at once; pairing by theme is easier to enter than reading straight through the table of contents.
Is it suitable as a writing model? Yes. Thoreau's observations are concrete and his metaphors restrained; his sentences have a clear sense of breathing, making it good for learning how to develop thought from detail. Choose short passages for imitation, focusing on the order of observation and tone rather than piling up ornate diction.

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About the author

Thoreau, Henry David, 1817-1862 Author

Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) was an American writer and thinker known for his nature writing and his reflections on individual conscience. The collection here includes 15 of his works, among them the combined volume Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, The Maine Woods, Walking, On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, several volumes of his journal, and Canoeing in the Wilderness. Public information is limited, but these works show that his writing drew on close observation of nature during his stay by a pond, his walking trips, and river journeys. His style is plain and precise, combining philosophical reflection with a critical edge. He stressed simple living, closeness to wilderness, and individual moral responsibility, and his influence on later environmental literature and ideas of peaceful resistance has been profound.