Henry David Thoreau was an American essayist, poet and philosopher who is best known as the author of the book, ‘Walden’. His essay on ‘Civil Disobedience’ caught the attention of people and influenced the political thoughts and actions of notable figures such as Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. Other than being a renowned and famous writer, Thoreau served as an abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor and historian. In his lifetime, Thoreau contributed invariably writing essays, articles, journals, poetry and books. Thoreau wrote primarily on natural history and philosophy, anticipating the methods and findings of ecology and environmental history, surviving historical change or natural decay and advocating the abandonment of waste and illusion. Today, Thoreau is regarded as one of the foremost American writers, both for the modern clarity of his prose style and the prescience of his views on nature and politics. His literary style was unique and distinctive. It interweaved close observation of nature, personal experience, pointed rhetoric, symbolic meanings and historical lore, while displaying a poetic sensibility, philosophical austerity, and attention to practical detail. Same is also visible in his quotes that convey a powerful message in limited words. Explore this section and find some of the best known quotes by Henry David Thoreau.
