Dr. Marc D. Baldwin
Henry David Thoreau
Copyright 2005 © by Marc D. Baldwin, PhD
Emerson’s Friend
Much of what I talked about in the RWE, Romanticism,
and Transcendentalism Lectures applies to Thoreau as
well, so please consider those remarks applicable here.
In fact, Emerson was Thoreau’s mentor, of sorts, until the
student surpassed the teacher in one sense at least:
Emerson talked about how to live differently while
Thoreau went out and did it by living a Spartan existence
in the woods for two years, an experience he chronicled
in his masterpiece Walden.
He was, thus, more of a practitioner than a philosopher,
believing that America’s promise was as yet unrealized.
Walden
T went to live near Walden’s Pond as an action based on
principle so that he could get closer to Nature.
The book is full of correspondences, meant to instruct
the reader in how to live a more meaningful life.
Very Romantic, the lessons of Walden are solipsistic,
teaching that we must perceive everything as a reaction
to our own personal responses.
It’s also narcissistic in that Thoreau sits meditating for
long periods of time on the banks of the pond,
contemplating his mantra, concluding that human activity
is futile without the transcendant spirit and transparent
eyeball of the Over-soul.
3 movements of Walden
The book is structured in 3 distinct ways:
1) Chronologically, as a diary or journal of
T’s two years there.
2) Rhetorically, as an argument for
adopting his philosophy and lifestyle; and
3) Mythically, as a quest for a rebirth into
a more enlightened state of mind and
being.
Innocent Eye
T looked at the world with an innocent eye, attempting to
“see without looking."
Striving to "recover the lost child that I am," T sought to
cultivate a child-like mind, believing that on each
morning one should start anew his quest for Truth.
The movie Groundhog Day is an exercise in Thoreau’s
transcendental revisionism.
As T puts it, "It is only when we forget all our learning
that we begin to know."
The "highest wisdom does not inspect, but behold."
This frame of mind is perfectly illustrated by Walt
Whitman in his superb little poem, “To a Learn'd
Astronomer."
Romantic Cultivation of the Self
Like any good Romanticist, T believed in pursuing his
own path on the journey to discover his own divinity.
For T, God is within your soul and in Nature.
The grand irony is that the more we seek ourselves and
our individuality, the more we come to believe in the
collective unconsciousness of humanity.
As T said, "If I seem to boast more than is becoming, my
excuse is that I brag for humanity rather than for myself."
This statement echoes Walt Whitman, who as I’m
suggesting, was greatly influenced by Emerson,
Thoreau, and transcendental thought.
Simplicity
Perhaps the essence of T’s philosophy is the
notion that we should live more simple lives.
"Our life is frittered away by detail... Simplify,
simplify,” he urged.
Men, he believed, have "become tools of their
tools.In proportion as he simplifies his life, the
laws of the universe will appear less complex,
and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty
poverty, nor weakness weakness."
Thoroughly Modern Henry
A strong case could be made for Thoreau’s enormous
influence on the era of Modernism, which was coming
along toward the end of the 19th century.
T believed in simply stating the facts for "Reality is
fabulous."
Like Whitman and the Modernists, T wrote paratactically,
eschewing formal structure and setting down
impressions in random order.
His writings were "excursions."
And also like Whitman and the Modernists, he preferred
writing in the 1st person singular to capture the
immediacy of the experiencing ego, the seeing
individual eye.
“Civil Disobedience”
One of the most influential pieces of writing in world history, T wrote
“CD” to chronicle his protest of three things: the Mexican War,
slavery and taxes.
He refused to pay taxes in protest of the Mexican War and slavery.
As a result, he was put in jail for a night or two. It didn’t bother him a
bit. In fact, he concluded and insisted that it is a man’s “duty” to
break the law he disagrees with, but to do so in a non-violent
manner.
This principle of non-violent civil disobedience was embraced by two
of the 20th century’s most powerful figures: Mahatma Ghandi and
Martin Luther King Jr., who led the Indian people and the American
Blacks respectively in their quest for civil rights and true freedom
from oppression.
Both Ghandi and King cited Thoreau as one of their main
inspirations in life.
Is Thoreau Relevant?
A somewhat sad and perplexing question is whether or not
Thoreau’s brand of reclusive protest is practical or even relevant for
us today.
Not many of us can afford to go to jail for our principles. It just
doesn’t look good on a job resume. Nor can we take two years off to
live in a cabin in the woods communing with the raccoons and
possum.
And it’s easy to say “Simplify, Simplify,” but in today’s world those
who cannot multi-task and who aren’t able to manipulate a multitude
of duties and skills sets find themselves on the unemployment line. It
would be nice to chuck it all and grab a fishing pole, but bills and
responsibilities don’t allow such a luxurious permanent vacation.
So Thoreau’s theories are great to help us balance things out,
though they are likely impossible to completely adopt.