Henry David Thoreau has become a citizen of the world. \u00a0His thinking about nature, science, literature, society, politics, and religion was subtle, flexible, insightful, well observed. \u00a0His books and essays have been translated into perhaps a hundred modern languages and adapted by many people from diverse backgrounds for their own uses. \u00a0From politicians and activists like Gandhi and King to scientists using his observations to study climate changes, Thoreau is a guide and an inspiration. \u00a0The Thoreau Society in Concord, now the Thoreau Alliance, has been successful after more than 80 years in bringing Thoreau\u2019s writings and thinking to the attention of the world.\u00a0 Thoreau continues to find admirers and to be quoted in countless contexts from environmentalism to social justice to zoology.<\/p>\n
Thoreau was Concord born and bred but today he belongs to the world, doesn\u2019t he? \u00a0He belongs to everyone and to no one, right?\u00a0 I wonder.<\/p>\n
Around the world people are talking and writing about what Thoreau said, or meant to say, about almost everything that is of interest to anybody.\u00a0 This is as it should be.\u00a0 Sort of.<\/p>\n
Have you noticed how often Henry David Thoreau uses the second-person pronoun \u201cyou\u201d in his writing?\u00a0 These examples are taken more or less at random from his Journal<\/em> for 1852: \u201cyou will see one red-wing in the midst of many dusky females making a great chattering over some particular part of the meadow\u201d (July 1); \u201cyou must be on hand early to anticipate insects\u201d (July 4), and \u201cI hear my hooting owl now just before sunset. You can fancy it the most melancholy sound in Nature\u201d (July 5).<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know about you, but his use of the pronoun \u201cyou\u201d connects me directly to Thoreau. \u00a0It is as if he is talking to me over his shoulder on one of his walks.\u00a0 Reading in the circle of light from my reading lamp, I have the unshakeable feeling that Thoreau is writing for me alone, and at that moment I alone am able to understand his meaning. \u00a0I experienced this illusion, sensation, or quale I suppose one might call it, the first time I read Walden<\/em> in college. \u00a0I could \u201chear\u201d his voice. \u00a0He was talking to me. \u00a0I couldn\u2019t put the book down.\u00a0 Now, after half a century, his voice is still in my mind as I read.<\/p>\n I sincerely hope The Thoreau Alliance is successful in its mission to spread the word about Henry David Thoreau around the globe. \u00a0Of course Thoreau is for everybody.\u00a0 And yet, as I grow old in this troubled age there are times when I weary of what others have to say about him. \u00a0I tire of sharing Thoreau with the world. \u00a0At those movements I cultivate my personal connection in order to experience \u201cmy\u201d Henry David Thoreau. \u00a0The rest of you will have to excuse me, I need to be alone with Henry now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Henry David Thoreau has become a citizen of the world. \u00a0His thinking about nature, science, literature, society, politics, and religion was subtle, flexible, insightful, well observed. \u00a0His books and essays have been translated into perhaps a hundred modern languages and adapted by many people from diverse backgrounds for their own uses. \u00a0From politicians and activists … Continue reading “Henry Thoreau Alone”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8088,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/runnels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/runnels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/runnels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/runnels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8088"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/runnels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/runnels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":134,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/runnels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133\/revisions\/134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/runnels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/runnels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/runnels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}