|
Thoreau’s Walden Pond
|
|
|
“I went to the woods because I
wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and
not discover when I came to die that I had not lived.”
~Henry David Thoreau, Walden
|
|
Before
leaving for Walden Pond, visitors should learn a bit about Henry
David Thoreau.
A
visit to Henry David Thoreau’s famed Walden Pond should begin with an
orientation to the nearby town of Concord,
Massachusetts. Visitors should take the opportunity to explore Thoreau's personal possessions on display at the Concord Museum,
including his desk, his walking stick, and the bedstead from his Walden Pond cabin. You can also prepare to take an
excursion on Concord’s Thoreau Trail.
Read
Linda’s reflections on Thoreau’s book, The Maine Woods. Anna has
something to say about this classic as well on her page.
Right:
Shepherd College
student Dan Marrs with Henry David Thoreau, reviewing Dan’s journal (photo
by Cat Hall).
|
|
|
About
a mile outside of Concord, Walden Pond State Reservation preserves the pond and
makes it available for public use. Many resources exist for exploring
Walden Pond – whether the traveler is moving through virtual space or walking
in the same woods Thoreau trod. Walden.Org is without a doubt the most comprehensive
site devoted to Thoreau and his famous experiment. This site is the home
for the Walden Woods Project and the Thoreau Institute.
A
good video introduction to Thoreau and his life at Walden Pond is available at C-SPAN’s American
Writers site.
Left: Winter at Walden Pond (photo by
Cat Hall).
|
|
|
Although
the pond is used by many people as a recreational destination, many
literary travelers make pilgrimages to the famous pond every year.
Francis
McGovern’s essay, “Sunrise
at Walden Pond,” is typical of the experiences that many have at this
natural “shrine.”
Left:
Shepherd College
students and faculty walking with Walden Pond State Reservation director
Steve Carlin to the original site of Thoreau’s cabin (photo by Lizzie
Lowe).
|
|
|
“Thus
I caught two fishes as it were with one hook.”
Left: Fishermen at Walden Pond (photo
by Cat Hall).
|
|
|
A
visit to the original site of Thoreau’s cabin at Walden Pond isn’t complete
without considering all of the other folks who have made a pilgrimage to
the site and paid homage to this unique man.
Left: Bronson Alcott's rock cairn
tribute to Thoreau, at the site of the original cabin (photo by Cat Hall).
|
“American
Transcendentalism: An Online Travel Guide” was produced by students in ENGL
446, American Transcendentalism, and ENGL 447, American Literature and the
Prominence of Place: A Travel Practicum. These courses were team-taught in
the Department of English at Shepherd College (now
Shepherd University), Shepherdstown, West Virginia, in Spring 2002 by Dr.
Patricia Dwyer and Dr. Linda Tate. For more information on the course and
the web project, visit “About This
Site.” ©
2003 Linda Tate.
|
