Henry David Thoreau

In 1840, Thoreau fell in love with a girl named Ellen Sewall but she turned down his marriage proposal. Thoreau remained a bachelor for the rest of his life.

In 1835, Thoreau contracted tuberculosis which had a sporadic effect on his health in later life. In 1859, he fell ill with bronchitis with his condition deteriorating over the next few years.

Henry David Thoreau died after a long illness on May 6, 1862, at his home in Concord, Massachusetts, U.S.A., at the age of 44.

Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817, in Concord, Massachusetts, U.S.A, to John Thoreau, a small businessman, and his wife, Cynthia Dunbar. He was the third of the four siblings, with an elder brother and sister, and a younger sister.

After receiving his early education from the Concord Academy, Thoreau earned a scholarship at the Harvard University in 1833. Upon completing his graduation in 1837, he taught at a grammar school in Concord for a while.

In addition to teaching, Thoreau also started writing for journals and eventually decided to pursue a career in literature. He was quite compassionate about nature and believed that the true meaning of life was hidden in its enchanting beauty.

Subsequently, he worked with his father in the pencil making business and later established a school with his brother, John, in 1838. He worked at the school for the next few years until the untimely death of John in 1842, an incident which had a deep impact on Henry.

While at Concord, Thoreau became friends with his neighbour, Ralph Waldo Emerson, a renowned essayist and transcendentalist. Emerson introduced Thoreau to the other writers and thinkers of the era, and also invited him to live at his home as a caretaker.

Emerson acted as a mentor to Thoreau and helped him publish nature essays such as ‘Natural History of Massachusetts’ and ‘A Winter Walk’ in a quarterly periodical ‘The Dial’.

In 1843, Thoreau moved to Staten Island upon getting the job of a tutor but soon grew distasteful of the city life in New York and returned to Concord. Once back in his home town, he joined his family business and worked there for a couple of years.

In 1845, Thoreau decided to move away from city life and close to nature. He built a small cabin for himself on Walden Pond, on property owned by Emerson. He spent the next two years in the woods devoting most of the time to his philosophical and literary interests.

While at Walden, Thoreau recorded his experiences in the journal which he later refined and published in the classic book ‘Walden’. His experiences comprise of the various realities of life at Walden Pond, apprising the world about his simple yet revolutionary lifestyle and the true essence of living with leisure.

Published in 1854, Thoreau’s classic book ‘Walden’ or ‘Life in the Woods’ is considered to be one of the greatest literary works of all time. The book advocates about leading a life close to nature and with a minimum of distasteful labour. Over the years, the book has acquired a cult following, serving as an inspiration for the works of many naturalists and writers.

Being a keen abolitionist, in 1849, Thoreau published one of his most influential essays titled ‘Resistance to Civil Government’ or ‘Civil Disobedience’. The work inspired many leader activists, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, to adopt a non-violent approach against political and social injustice.