Ice On Walden Pond

I am a Thoreau fan. I appreciate his writing much like a piece of art. His words are on the wall in my high school library. They appear:

"Books are the treasured wealth of the world..."

I read Walden during the summer before my junior year because it was on the American Literature reading list and because I had desired to read it for some time. I was the only person in my Am Lit class who voluntarily read Walden. I can't say I wasn't proud of myself. I have two quotes stored in my brain:

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."

"However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are."

The second quote I've reflected upon many times. It is from the conclusion chapter. I'd like to call Thoreau a simplicisist, but that is definitely not a word. The meaning of it, though, is fundamental. Thoreau's words, lifestyle, and state of mind are simple but incredibly powerful and captivating.

written 29 October 2009