Henry David Thoreau
With Thoreau’s personal example of simple living, his criticism of materialism, and the timeless questions he raises about the place of the individual in society and humanity’s role in the natural world, Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) continues to inspire readers to assert their independence, reinterpret his legacy, and ask challenging questions of their own.
As an author and naturalist, Thoreau is still considered one of the leading figures in American thought and literature. His writings address more than just “plain living” and “Nature study,” but even provides lessons in religion and spirituality. When a publisher complained about his “defiant Pantheism,” Thoreau retorted that it couldn’t be avoided “…since I was born to be a pantheist – if that be the name of me, and I do the deeds of one.” He expressed varying religious views, yet biographer Robert Richardson, Jr. observes “If a pantheist is one who worships nature, because nature is life, and life is all there is that matters, then Thoreau was a pantheist.”
The U.S. postal service celebrated the bicentennial year of Thoreau’s birth with a Forever stamp, released on May 23, 2017. This was the second U.S. postage stamp issued in his honor, the other being released in 1967.
The first-day-issue stamp dedication ceremony for the 2017 Forever Postage Stamp took place at the Walden Pond State Reservation Visitors Center. Thoreau, born July 12, 1817, lived at Walden Pond from 1845-1847. His experience there served as the inspiration for his book Walden.
The stamp art is an oil-on-panel painting of Thoreau’s face based on a famous 1856 daguerreotype by Benjamin Maxham. On the right side of the stamp is Thoreau’s signature of his last name. Below the signature is a branch of sumac leaves. Sam Weber Brooklyn, NY, was the stamp artist. Art director Greg Breeding of Charlottesville, VA, designed the stamp.
“Thoreau was one of the great thinkers in this country’s history on a wide variety of subjects, and the expression on his face in the stamp image captures his introspective and inquisitive nature,” said U.S. Postal Service General Counsel and Executive Vice President Thomas J. Marshall. “Thoreau encouraged everyone to lead more thoughtful and considered lives. Given the pace of today’s world, the many demands on our time, and sometimes conflicting priorities, I am sure we could all benefit from his advice.”
Ed Begley, Jr. a board member of the Walden Woods Project, said “Thoreau holds a significant place in the history of our country. The commemorative stamp not only celebrates the 200th anniversary of his birth, but reminds us of his continuing influence regarding 21st century global environmental and social reform challenges.”
USPS Press Release Thoreau Forever 2017 Postage Stamp (23 May 2017) (PDF)
Further Reading or Viewing
- Pantheist Prophet: Henry David Thoreau by Harold W. Wood, Jr., Reprinted from Pantheist Vision, Vol., 14, No. 2, May 1993.
- “The Art of Successful Sauntering” by Henry David Thoreau – from Pantheist Vision Autumn 2022, excerpted from “Walking,” Atlantic Monthly, 1862.
- Walden: Ballad of Thoreau, – a Video of the Play – In this play, most of the conversation between Thoreau and Emerson are actual quotes culled from the body of their literary work. The Walden play is presented as a celebration of the Earth, a celebration of nature, and a celebration of an American literary giant.
- Henry David Thoreau – from Transcendentalist Spirituality website
- Thoreau’s Wilderness Legacy, Beyond the Shores of Walden Pond by Douglas Brinkley (July 7, 2017) – New York Times
- Thoreau as Spiritual Guide: A Companion to Walden for Personal Reflection and Group Discussion, by Barry M. Andrews (Boston: Skinner House Books, 2000).
- The Thoreau Society (founded 1941)
Music Celebrating Thoreau
- A Song For Henry David Thoreau (Transcendentalism Song)
from Thaw The Earth by Strangeness In Proportion. - “The Big Trees are Down” by Douglas Wood – The album Earthsongs features tributes to Henry David Thoreau, as well as John Muir, Rachel Carson, Aldo Leopold, and Sigurd Olsen, with a call to us to stand in their footsteps.
Favorite Quotes
“All the phenomena of nature need to be seen from the point of view of wonder and awe.”
“The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat as intangible and indescribable as the tints of morning or evening. It is a little star-dust caught, a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched.”
“Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.”
“When I would re-create myself, I seek the darkest wood, the thickest and most interminable and to the citizen, most dismal, swamp. I enter as a sacred place, a Sanctum sanctorum. There is the strength, the marrow, of Nature.”