Henry David Thoreau

Read the books of Henry David Thoreau

Thoreau's books are all in the public domain, which means they're free from copyright—and free for you. Project Gutenberg has the landmark text "Walden," as well as lesser-known works such as "A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers" and "The Maine Woods."

Read the poetry of Henry David Thoreau

Although primarily known for his nonfiction, the New England transcendentalist was also a prolific poet, writing verse that, like his essays, tackled nature, man, and society. The Academy of American Poets has collected 30 of his poems, which you can read for free.

Diving into the life of Henry David Thoreau

Before he went to live in the woods by Walden Pond, Thoreau (who originally went by David Henry) lived a fascinating life, opening a school with his brother, working for his father's pencil-making business, and becoming close to Ralph Waldo Emerson, who'd become a mentor figure for the aspiring writer. This deep profile explores all that and more.

How a pencil-making company helped fund Thoreau's books

Thoreau's father ran a pencil-making business, designing a model that dominated the American market and paid for his son's Harvard education. Later, Henry David Thoreau would use the business to fund the publication of his two books, "A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers" and "Walden."

Well before the publication of 'Walden,' Henry David Thoreau nearly burned down his hometown

On April 30, 1844, the transcendentalist set a campfire that quickly grew out of control, burning 300 acres of woods near Concord, Massachusetts. For years, Thoreau remarked that other residents called him the "woods burner." Thoreau, though, felt no guilt, writing in 1850, "It has never troubled me from that day to this more than if the lightning had done it."

How yoga philosophy inspired Thoreau

In the 19th century, yogis traveling in America emphasized the practice as a philosophical one rather than a purely physical act. Like many Americans at the time, including his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thoreau was intrigued by yoga's mysticism, once writing, "I cannot read a single word of the Hindoos without being elevated."

What is transcendentalism?

The 19th-century movement, largely centered around the ideas of Ralph Waldo Emerson, believed that individuals needed to form transcendent connections with the universe. For many transcendentalist philosophers, writers, and religious figures, that meant seeking it in nature. This Stanford explainer on the philosophy digs deep into its major concepts and figureheads.

The political theory of Henry David Thoreau

The two years, two months, and two days that Thoreau spent living in a modest cabin at Walden Pond informed his beliefs that people should live simply, deliberately, and become self-reliant. Those beliefs were later articulated, in a political sense, in his landmark essay, "Civil Disobedience."

Read Thoreau's 'Civil Disobedience'

The essay—originally delivered as a lecture and inspired by a night in jail for failing to pay a poll tax—argued that citizens should nonviolently resist unjust government policies, including slavery. Read the entirety of the essay for free.

Thoreau's 'Civil Disobedience' was largely a protest against the Mexican-American War

Henry David Thoreau refused to pay taxes that funded what he saw as an unjust war waged to expand slavery. His act of protest inspired his famous essay "Civil Disobedience," a foundational text for nonviolent resistance.