Kaivalya

To: Education@Walden.Org , 09 July, 2004. Dear Sir/Madam, I am an ardent admirer of Thoreau and am an avid reader of his influential essays. I cannot tell in words the kind of motivation I derive from studying Thoreau. I have a few collections of Thoreau's essays, including Walden, Civil Disobedience and Life Without Principle. I seem to have natural ideas similar to what Thoreau seemed to elucidate in his writings. I am to admit that he is the most influential factor in my life. I would like to do a comprehensive study on life, thoughts, philosophy and literary contributions by Thoreau. So, I write to you to know of any way of getting this done. I know of the fact that to undestand Thoreau, the best way is to read his own works. I am reading Thoreau, but I consider that I have only limited access to his profound collection of thoughts. Kindly advice me, how to begin a comprehensive study of Thoreau as a philosopher rather than a naturalist. My primary interest in Thoreau is of ...

"Walden" was first published in 1854, a 2000 copies print by Ticknor and Fields. It mostly comprises of Thoreau's life in the woods between July 4, 1845 to September 6, 1857. It is considered by some wise men as one of the most influential works in American literature. To me, "Walden" is a paradise of wisdom, an epitome of Truth in the simplest verses. Well, then let us sojourn again into the wilderness. ECONOMY In most books, the I, or first person is omitted; in this it will be retained; that, in respect to egotism, is the main difference. (This shows his characteristic of the importance of self, and the individualistic spirit of being). In the rest of the chapter Thoreau details out the financial account details of all the experiments that failed and that finally succeeded, and of course the wonderful philosophy about life. In front of the Thoreau's cabin replica at the Walden Pond Conservative in concord is an excerpt from this chapter. The below is a p...

It could perhaps fit for this account to be called "On Walden" too, however, since I want to emphasize the joy I derived, when my dream came true, when I visited Walden in the New England spring this year (2007), which had prompted me to call it "At Walden". As people who know me, hopefully do agree that I am usually a modest person, I do admit here that this essay of mine, is not to exercise efforts to evaluate the genius of Thoreau, nor to defend against many accomplished gentlemen and women of great minds who did not accept Thoreau in the first place. It is my humble attempt to offer to my readers, the influence and inspiration of Thoreau in my life, which is of late been of the sorts of "quite desperation", while I struggle to learn what it has to offer. Ever since I first read the account of Henry David Thoreau's life in my High School English Course, I felt fascinated about the Walden Pond and the 19th Century New England. What attracted most is...