walden--thoreau-瓦尔登湖--梭罗.pptVIP

Introduction to Walden and Henry David Thoreau Relationship between Emerson and Thoreau (Transcendentalists’ beliefs) Rediscovery of Walden (why Thoreau becomes popular nowadays) A brief introduction to Henry David Thoreau Life in the woods/ Walden pond Thoreau’s life after Walden Born in a mid-class family and studied in Harvard during 1833 to 1837 An American author, poet, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, philosopher, and leading transcendentalist He is best known for his book Walden and Civil Disobedience On the 4th of July, 1845, thoreau began an solitary life beside walden pond, in Concord, Massachusetts .He lived there for just over two years, during which time he kept journals. Walden emphasizes the importance of self-reliance, solitude, contemplation, and closeness to nature. The book is not simply a criticism of society, but also an attempt to engage creatively with the better aspects of contemporary culture. He was escaping the dehumanizing effects of the Industrial Revolution by returning to a simpler, agrarian lifestyle . He was simplifying his life and reducing his expenditures, increasing the amount of leisure time in which he could work on his writings He was putting into practice the Transcendentalist belief that one can best transcend normality and experience the Ideal, or the Devine, through nature He had other lives to live ,and books to write , so he returned to Concord where he spent 7 years writing and rewriting Walden. Thoreau contracted tuberculosis in 1835 and suffered from it sporadically afterwards. His health declined over three years with brief periods of remission, until he eventually became bedridden. Recognizing the terminal nature of his disease, Thoreau spent his last years revising and editing his unpublished works, He also wrote letters and journal entries until he became too weak to continue. His friends were alarmed at his diminished appearance and were fascinated by his tranquil accept