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Henry David Thoreau Quotes - Page 60

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It required some rudeness to disturb with our boat the mirror-like surface of the water, in which every twig and blade of grass was so faithfully reflected; too faithfully indeed for art to imitate, for only Nature may

It required some rudeness to disturb with our boat the mirror-like surface of the water, in which every twig and blade of grass was so faithfully reflected; too faithfully indeed for art to imitate, for only Nature may exaggerate herself.

Henry David Thoreau
Art, Nature, Mirrors
Henry David Thoreau (2016). “A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers”, p.34, Xist Publishing

We often love to think now of the life of men on beaches,--at least in midsummer, when the weather is serene; their sunny lives onthe sand, amid the beach-grass and bayberries, their companion a cow, their wealth a jag of driftwood or a few beach plums, and their music the surf and the peep of the beech-bird.

Henry David Thoreau
Beach, Men, Thinking
Henry David Thoreau (2008). “Cape Cod: Illustrated Edition of the American Classic”, p.242, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

As the truest society approaches always nearer to solitude, so the most excellent speech finally falls into Silence. Silence is audible to all men, at all times, and in all places. She is when we hear inwardly, sound when we hear outwardly. Creation has not displaced her, but is her visible framework and foil. All sounds are her servants, and purveyors, proclaiming not only that their mistress is, but is a rare mistress, and earnestly to be sought after.

Henry David Thoreau
Fall, Men, Silence
Henry David Thoreau (1977). “The portable Thoreau”, Penguin

There is commonly sufficient space about us. Our horizon is never quite at our elbows.

Henry David Thoreau
Space, Solitude, Horizon
Henry David Thoreau (2015). “Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience: Top American Literary”, p.81, 谷月社

We have need to be as sturdy pioneers still as Miles Standish, or Church, or Lovewell. We are to follow on another trail, it is true, but one as convenient for ambushes. What if the Indians are exterminated, are not savages as grim prowling about the clearings today?

Henry David Thoreau
Integrity, Bravery, What If
Henry David Thoreau (2016). “A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers”, p.85, Xist Publishing

For a man to act himself, he must be perfectly free; otherwise he is in danger of losing all sense of responsibility or of self- respect.

Henry David Thoreau
Freedom, Integrity, Responsibility
Henry David Thoreau (1894). “The Writings of Henry David Thoreau: With Bibliographical Introductions and Full Indexes”

In winter we lead a more inward life. Our hearts are warm and cheery, like cottages under drifts, whose windows and doors are halfconcealed, but from whose chimneys the smoke cheerfully ascends.... We enjoy now, not an Oriental, but a Boreal leisure, around warm stoves and fireplaces, and watch the shadow of motes in the sunbeams.

Henry David Thoreau
Heart, Winter, Doors

To enjoy a thing exclusively is commonly to exclude yourself from the true enjoyment of it.

Henry David Thoreau
Enjoy, Enjoyment, Property
Henry David Thoreau (1992). “The Essays of Henry David Thoreau”, p.124, Rowman & Littlefield

Linnæus, setting out for Lapland, surveys his "comb" and "spare shirt," "leathern breeches" and "gauze cap to keep off gnats," with as much complacency as Bonaparte a park of artillery for the Russian campaign. The quiet bravery of the man is admirable.

Henry David Thoreau
Science, Men, Gnats
Henry David Thoreau (2015). “Excursions and Poems : The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, Volume V (of 20)”, p.98, HOUGHTON MIFFLIN AND COMPANY

The next day the Indian told me their name for this light,--artoosoq',--and on my inquiring concerning the will-o'-the-wisp, and the like phenomena, he said that his "folks" sometimes saw fires passing along at various heights, even as high as the trees, and making a noise. I was prepared after this to hear of the most startling and unimagined phenomena, witnessed by "his folks"; they are abroad at all hours and seasons in scenes so unfrequented by white men. Nature must have made a thousand revelations to them which are still secrets to us.

Henry David Thoreau
Nature, Science, Men

A man sees only what concerns him.... How much more, then, it requires different intentions of the eye and of the mind to attend to different departments of knowledge! How differently the poet and the naturalist look at objects!

Henry David Thoreau
Eye, Men, Mind
Henry David Thoreau (2013). “The Selected Essays of Henry David Thoreau”, p.203, Simon and Schuster

The universe constantly and obediently answers to our conceptions; whether we travel fast or slow, the track is laid for us. Let us spend our lives in conceiving then. The poet or the artist never yet had so fair and noble a design but some of his posterity at least could accomplish it.

Henry David Thoreau
Artist, Imagination, Track
Henry David Thoreau (1882). “Walden”, p.153

We 've wholly forgotten how to die. But be sure you do die nevertheless. Do your work, and finish it. If you know how to begin, you will know when to end.

Henry David Thoreau
Forgotten, Ends, Labor
Henry David Thoreau (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Henry David Thoreau (Illustrated)”, p.1211, Delphi Classics

One can hardly imagine a more healthful employment, or one more favorable to contemplation and the observation of nature.

Henry David Thoreau
Employment, Imagine, Contemplation
Henry David Thoreau (2016). “A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers”, p.148, Xist Publishing

As for my own business, even that kind of surveying which I could do with most satisfaction my employers do not want. They would prefer that I should do my work coarsely and not too well, ay, not well enough. When I observe that there are different ways of surveying, my employer commonly asks which will give him the most land, not which is most correct.

Henry David Thoreau
Land, Giving, Different
Henry David Thoreau (2017). “Collected Works of Henry David Thoreau (Illustrated): Philosophical and Autobiographical Books, Essays, Poetry, Translations, Biographies & Letters: Walden, Civil Disobedience, The Maine Woods, Cape Cod, Slavery in Massachusetts, Walking…”, p.1096, e-artnow

It is remarkable that there are few men so well employed, so much to their minds, but that a little money or fame would commonly buy them off from their present pursuit.

Henry David Thoreau
Money, Men, Independence
Henry David Thoreau (2012). “The Portable Thoreau”, p.416, Penguin

You must get your living by loving. But as it is said of the merchants that ninety-seven in a hundred fail, so the life of men generally, tried by this standard, is a failure, and bankruptcy may be surely prophesied.

Henry David Thoreau
Men, May, Failing
Henry David Thoreau (2002). “The Essays of Henry D. Thoreau: Selected and Edited by Lewis Hyde”, p.286, North Point Press

The gold-digger is the enemy of the honest laborer, whatever checks and compensations there may be. It is not enough to tell me that you worked hard to get your gold. So does the Devil work hard. The way of transgressors may be hard in many respects.

Henry David Thoreau
Respect, Hard Work, Enemy
Henry David Thoreau (2013). “The Essential Thoreau”, p.413, Simon and Schuster

This world is a place of business. What an infinite bustle! I am awaked almost every night by the panting of the locomotive. It interrupts my dreams. There is no sabbath. It would be glorious to see mankind at leisure for once. It is nothing but work, work, work.

Henry David Thoreau
Dream, Work, Night
Henry David Thoreau (2013). “The Essential Thoreau”, p.408, Simon and Schuster

The humblest observer who goes to the mines sees and says that gold-digging is of the character of a lottery; the gold thus obtained is not the same thing with the wages of honest toil. But, practically, he forgets what he has seen, for he has seen only the fact, not the principle, and goes into trade there, that is, buys a ticket in what commonly proves another lottery, where the fact is not so obvious.

Henry David Thoreau
Character, Gambling, Gold
Henry David Thoreau (2013). “The Essential Thoreau”, p.413, Simon and Schuster

Those services which the community will most readily pay for, it is most disagreeable to render.

Henry David Thoreau
Money, Community, Pay
Henry David Thoreau (2012). “The Portable Thoreau”, p.416, Penguin

But labor of the hands, even when pursued to the verge of drudgery, is perhaps never the worst form of idleness. It has a constantand imperishable moral, and to the scholar it yields a classic result.

Henry David Thoreau
Yield, Hands, Moral
Henry David Thoreau (2004). “Walden: 150th Anniversary Illustrated Edition of the American Classic”, p.153, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

I have travelled a good deal in Concord; and everywhere, in shops, and offices, and fields, the inhabitants have appeared to me tobe doing penance in a thousand remarkable ways.... The twelve labors of Hercules were trifling in comparison with those which my neighbors have undertaken; for they were only twelve, and had an end; but I could never see that these men slew or captured any monster or finished any labor.

Henry David Thoreau
Men, Office, Monsters
Henry David Thoreau (2016). “Walden”, p.6, Xist Publishing

Some are "industrious," and appear to love labor for its own sake, or perhaps because it keeps them out of worse mischief; to suchI have at present nothing to say. Those who would not know what to do with more leisure than they now enjoy, I might advise to work twice as hard as they do,--work till they pay for themselves, and get their free papers.

Henry David Thoreau
Paper, Slavery, Might
Henry David Thoreau (2016). “Walden”, p.51, Xist Publishing

Most men I do not meet at all, for they seem not to have time; they are busy about their beans.

Henry David Thoreau
Time, Men, Busy
Henry David Thoreau (2015). “Walden”, p.140, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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