In Wildness is?

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I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it has to teach and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.
— Henry David Thoreau, Author, Naturalist, Philosopher, 1817-1862

This week’s title reference to wildness is perhaps Thoreau’s most well known quotation: “In Wildness is the Preservation of the World.” This quotation however does not come from his many books and essays published during his life but from a booklet called Walking published after his death in 1862. We have a PDF copy of Walking in our Resources Section. For context the wildness preservation reference occurs on page 13 of that document.

However Walden, Thoreau’s most famous book, is looked upon by many in the environmental movement as a natural Bible. While not a scientific survey, it is not uncommon for backpackers and hikers to pull out of their packs a copy of Walden to provide their daily devotions.

Free copies of Walden, in a number of formats are found at Project Gutenberg, as well on Amazon where a search for “Walden Thoreau” returns 2,801 results. Top on the list is a pre-order release, this week, of a new paperback that features a log cabin and a side fireplace, not at all similar to Thoreau’s 10 foot by 15 foot shingled cape cod structure.

Thoreau began his stay on Walden Pond on July 4, 1846 and continued there for just 2 years, 2 months and 2 days, at which time he moved back to the city to house sit for fellow Transcendentalist, Ralph Waldo Emerson. It is stated that it took Thoreau longer to write Walden than the time he actually spent living in the woods.

In that enlighten vision I thought that this introduction would serve as a great segue into my announcement that I too am in the process of leaving my hut in the woods, and returning somewhat to civilization. While I have made numerous excursions into the outside world during this time in the Boulder Creek Canyon of the Kettle River, it would not be difficult to say that my time would be double Thoreau’s stay; essentially 4 years, 4 months, and 4 days.

Tags: Thoreau, 2nd Great Awakening, fear, Christianity, Amoeba Theory, Native Americans