PDF Summary:Walden, by Henry David Thoreau

Humans are social creatures. But at times, many of us feel the urge to run away to the woods and be alone with our thoughts—as Henry David Thoreau did at Walden Pond. Thoreau, an essayist and a key figure in the Transcendentalist movement, is still read and revered—but not for daring feats of wilderness survival. (In fact, he built his cabin within walking distance of his mother’s house and was rumored to have returned often for clean laundry and fresh pie.)

Instead, we still read a book published more than 160 years ago because of what Thoreau accomplishes on the page. Watching the seasons pass, Thoreau articulated his philosophy that you can build a more meaningful life not through constant work and endless consumption, but through living in harmony with the natural world and with your values. In this guide, we’ll explore how Thoreau spent his time at Walden Pond, why he moved to the woods, and how you can find a bit of Walden in your own life—no handbuilt cabin needed.

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Finally, writing also kept Thoreau busy. He spent considerable time keeping a journal while he lived at Walden. In his journal, he recorded what he observed and what he thought about during his time in the woods. These journal entries would form the basis for the book later published as Walden. (Shortform note: While he was living in the woods at Walden, Thoreau also wrote his first book, called A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. That book chronicled a river trip he had taken with his brother John, who had died in 1842 after contracting tetanus from cutting himself while shaving.)

(Shortform note: Some experts say that Walden wasn’t Thoreau’s masterpiece: His journal was. Writing is implicit in everything Thoreau describes doing at Walden. Everything he did, he wrote about—and he may have even done things just to write about them. For example, some experts contend that he may have been less interested in growing beans than in writing about growing beans. Farming gave Thoreau an opportunity to write about farming, and writing gave him a way to think through the philosophy of everything he did during his time in the woods.)

What Is the Biggest Myth About Thoreau’s Time at Walden?

Thoreau spends much of the book explaining how he spent his time when he lived in the woods. Amid his accounts of cultivating beans, watching birds, canoeing on the pond, and observing the trees, he also describes passing his time in a way that tends to surprise people: interacting with other people. A pervasive myth about the time Thoreau spent at Walden Pond is that he left society behind to live like a hermit in the woods. But when he moved to the woods, Thoreau didn’t so much disengage from society as deepen his resistance to the parts of the modern world that he found objectionable. In this section, we’ll explore how Thoreau participated in society even when he was living on the outskirts of town.

(Shortform note: It’s a common mistake to construe Thoreau as an “asocial hermit,” Alda Balthrop-Lewis writes in Thoreau’s Religion. She explains that even as he sought solitude, Thoreau wasn’t actually trying to live without human society. He put effort into maintaining his relationships and striking up new friendships while at Walden. He also adopted a view of social life inclusive not just of humans but of all the inhabitants of Walden Woods. That included the animals, plants, and even the memory of Walden’s past human inhabitants, all of whom he regarded as part of a society he was joining by moving to Walden Pond.)

He Walked Into Town Every Few Days

Contrary to popular perception, Thoreau didn’t live deep in the wilderness. Instead, he built his cabin at the edge of the woods, right outside of Concord. He walked the short route into town regularly, following the tracks of the Fitchburg railroad. He writes that when he was in town, he enjoyed catching up on gossip and news, observing how people lived, buying the rye or cornmeal he needed, and then escaping to the woods again.

(Shortform note: Thoreau lived within walking distance of his friends and family, and he’s been mocked because of rumors that his “mom did his laundry” and “brought him sandwiches'' at Walden. Scholars say that it’s unclear who did his laundry. But what is clear, according to essayist Rebecca Solnit, is that Thoreau supported and was supported by his family throughout his life. The women in his family exerted a strong influence over him, including by persuading him and Emerson to adopt strong abolitionist views. They pushed Thoreau and Emerson to air the metaphorical dirty laundry that Solnit characterizes as “the washing that really mattered.”)

Though Thoreau writes that he disliked modern society’s materialism and its lack of meaningful connection with nature—two topics that he addresses repeatedly throughout the book—he didn’t leave Concord or its social issues behind when he moved to Walden. He sought to strike a balance between removing himself physically (and spiritually) from life in Concord and continuing to engage thoughtfully and critically with its society and politics.

(Shortform note: Thoreau’s politics might be difficult to classify as belonging to the political right or the political left as they exist in US politics today. Yet some scholars say that fundamentally, his politics came down to optimism about Americans’ intellectual and spiritual potential. Thoreau believed that if everyone could see beyond the distractions of a rapidly industrializing society and the labor and consumption it demands, they could pursue what’s best for everyone instead of what’s best for themselves as individuals. In other words, he believed people can transcend their individual perspectives to care for their communities and sustain each other.)

He Entertained Visitors at His Cabin

Because he built his cabin within walking distance of Concord, Thoreau could regularly host visitors. He notes that when he outfitted the cabin, he chose to have not one or even two chairs, but three. He anticipated that there might be occasions to entertain several visitors.

(Shortform note: Thoreau’s prediction was correct: He entertained many visitors at his cabin. One of his most frequent guests at Walden was Bronson Alcott, a fellow Transcendentalist whom Thoreau considered a close friend. In Solid Seasons, Jeffrey Cramer writes that Thoreau found friendships hard work. But none were more so than his friendship with Emerson, who often walked with him to and from Walden, likely deep in conversation. Emerson was 14 years older than Thoreau, but they formed a bond that scholars say was spiritual as well as social.)

Thoreau writes that he often had philosophical discussions with people who passed through the woods. One particularly notable visitor was a woodchopper, whom Thoreau admired for his industriousness, his unaffected appreciation for beauty, and his practical perspective, which was informed by his own observations and opinions rather than those of others.

(Shortform note: Thoreau’s lyrical descriptions of the woodchopper, who was named Alek Therien, fuel speculation about whether Thoreau might have been queer. Some scholars speculate that Thoreau was homosexual or asexual. They haven’t found evidence that he was physically intimate with men or women, and he remained a bachelor throughout his life. In Now Comes Good Sailing, James Marcus characterizes Thoreau as “a nonpracticing gay man,” one who didn’t know what to make of his attractions, or of the ideas of sex or love. And some readers have interpreted Thoreau’s retreat to Walden as a choice to run away from society’s heteronormative assumptions and demands, even if only temporarily.)

Thoreau also enjoyed visits from people who lived in poverty or were labeled unintelligent. He writes that when he engaged them in conversation, they often demonstrated wisdom that far exceeded that of the people who had dismissed them. Thoreau explains that he enjoyed the company of people who visited the woods with the intention of really leaving the preoccupations of the city behind them. However, he encountered some people whom he chose to turn away, including those whom he characterized as simply seeking charity.

(Shortform note: Some critics say that Thoreau romanticized poverty but felt inconvenienced by people experiencing poverty. He declined to engage in philanthropy, writing that it didn’t agree with his constitution. Some readers think this fault undermines Thoreau’s entire mission at Walden. These critics say that the point of engaging in self-reflection and learning from the natural world is to become a better person and that Thoreau fails that test. Yet Thoreau has been accused of hypocrisy since before Walden published—and many have found his failure to perfectly practice what he preached condescending. But biographers say that he was full of contradictions—some of which might have a good explanation and some of which might not.)

He Spent a Night in Jail Because of His Politics

Thoreau also remained engaged with politics even though he didn’t live in town. He was unafraid to make his opinions known when he did spend time in Concord. He felt so strongly opposed to some of the national policies of his day—such as slavery and the war on Mexico—that he refused to pay the poll tax he owed to the city of Concord. About halfway through his time at Walden, Thoreau walked into town to collect a shoe he’d left for repair. He encountered a town official who put him in jail for the night for failing to pay the taxes he owed. He was released the following day.

Thoreau also understood the woods as a social, even political, space. The woods weren’t empty, either figuratively or literally: They were (at least for Thoreau) occupied by the ghosts of indigenous people and earlier settlers. When walking through the woods, he also regularly encountered living people, such as railroad workers enjoying a day off and Concord residents hunting, fishing, harvesting ice, or gathering firewood. During his time at Walden Pond, Thoreau also interacted with escaped enslaved people, whom he helped on their way north.

What Were Thoreau’s Political Beliefs?

By the time the US declared war against Mexico in 1846—a war that abolitionists viewed as a means for expanding slavery into the southwest—Thoreau had stopped paying his taxes as a protest against slavery. Local officials had ignored his tax evasion. But that changed when he publicly condemned the US invasion of Mexico. That’s when the sheriff jailed Thoreau for tax delinquency. Someone anonymously paid Thoreau’s taxes, so he was released the following day. But Thoreau’s night in jail prompted him to write the essay "Civil Disobedience,” originally published as "Resistance to Civil Government.” In the essay, he argued that people should disobey “unjust laws” rather than participate in injustice, even if they landed in prison.

The Thoreau family home was part of the Underground Railroad, and the whole family was active in the abolitionist movement. The Thoreau women had particularly strong anti-slavery views. Thoreau’s mother, sisters, and aunts all belonged to the Concord Women’s Antislavery Society, and Thoreau hosted the group (at least once) at Walden. When he lived in the woods, he continued to assist formerly enslaved people on their way north: hiding them, getting them to the train station, purchasing train tickets, and sometimes accompanying them to the next station.

Critics of Thoreau’s politics say that, in keeping with the philosophy of Transcendentalism, Thoreau focused on independence and didn’t have much to say about structural change. Historian Staughton Lynd wrote in his 1968 book Intellectual Origins of American Radicalism that Thoreau’s individualism rendered him naive to how power actually works or how social change really happens. Karl Marx, who examined these dynamics, was a contemporary of Thoreau’s. But experts say that despite their common interests, Thoreau likely didn’t read Marx. So it may be unsurprising that he stopped short of exploring the social and economic forces that compel people to “lead lives of quiet desperation,” as he observed that many do.

Why Did He Move to the Woods?

The pursuits that filled Thoreau’s time during the two years he spent at Walden Pond provide useful context for the other major subject of the book: the philosophical reasons he decided to move to the woods in the first place. In this section, we’ll explore the ideas that motivated Thoreau to move out of Concord and into a tiny cabin. We’ll also explain how his principles might help you to make changes to your own life.

He Wanted to Live a Simpler Life

First, Thoreau explains that the choices he made in moving to Walden were motivated by a desire to live more simply—and he doesn’t hesitate to say that he thinks his readers should simplify their lives, too. During the two years he lived in the woods, Thoreau chose a life of what he calls “voluntary poverty.” He reduced what he produced and consumed to just what was necessary for survival: food, shelter, clothing, and fuel.

(Shortform note: True to its name, Thoreau’s “voluntary poverty” was a choice. He came from a middle-class family, and he could afford to supplement the crops he grew with store-bought goods. He could also leave Walden when he felt like it. Some scholars argue that Thoreau was aware of the irony of his choosing a lifestyle that was imposed on others. But he also believed that it was important for people who had his advantages to recognize what life was like for the disadvantaged. He contended that by stopping our endless pursuit of material things, we can pay attention to what life is like for others.)

While Thoreau believed there is dignity in labor and in working to provide for oneself, he contended that people consume too much and work too much to pay for it. He explains that people can live on much less than they think possible. Then, with that change in perspective, they can stop overworking themselves to afford a large home, a vast family farm, fashionable clothes, or even an expensive education. Thoreau contends that the drive to acquire these and other material things results in unacceptable costs in terms of time: time that we give up for truly living in order to obtain possessions that aren’t necessary and don’t fulfill us.

(Shortform note: Thoreau’s reservations about exchanging our time for our necessities, homes, and material possessions seem to anticipate modern concerns about the trap of the middle class. In Having and Being Had, Eula Biss writes that we buy into the values of the capitalist system that determines what our time is worth in terms of the money and things for which it can be exchanged. Life under such an economic system is compromised and frustrating, Biss explains. But few of us can figure out how to disentangle ourselves from the system—even Thoreau couldn’t withdraw himself completely from the modern economy.)

How You Can Simplify Your Life

Most of us can’t just leave town and move to the woods to live a simpler life. But if you want to follow in Thoreau’s footsteps in clearing room in your life for the things that are most meaningful to you, he offers a few principles that you can put into practice.

Consider what you can do without. Thoreau believed in the virtue of economy: rejecting materialism and practicing simplicity. Throughout the book, he warns against overworking yourself just to spend money and time on things you don’t need. For instance, he chose to avoid eating animal products: In addition to saving money by foregoing purchases of butter, milk, or meat, he notes that abstaining from hunting and fishing also allowed him to avoid the cooking and cleaning that would go along with preparing meat or fish.

(Shortform note: Thoreau was mindful of his diet, but he didn’t stick to rigid rules, according to historians. He saved money by foregoing meat, butter, coffee, and milk. But when he spent time with others, he ate what they ate. He also wanted to reduce the amount of meat he consumed for ethical reasons. This might call to mind the philosophies of some modern writers: Jonathan Safran Foer recommends in We Are the Weather that we reduce our meat consumption for the sake of the environment. And Michael Pollan advocates in The Omnivore’s Dilemma for taking greater responsibility for the moral transaction between us and the animals we eat. )

Manage your resources wisely. Like all of us, Thoreau had to choose how to best put to use the supplies and money he had. For example, when he hosted large numbers of visitors at his cabin—he entertained as many as 25 or 30 people at one time—Thoreau didn’t use up all his supplies to feed them all. Instead, he found other ways to make them feel welcome, such as entertaining them outside, without worrying about society’s standards for hospitality.

Savor what you have. Thoreau believed that an important part of living a simpler life was experiencing gratitude for what you have and what you’re able to do. For instance, he writes that when you sit down to eat a meal, feeling gratitude for your food and paying attention to what you’re eating is much more important than what’s on your plate.

(Shortform note: In Thoreau’s time, American society was undergoing a transition. While people had traditionally grown their own food and made their own clothes, they were becoming more dependent on industry to employ them and to produce the things they needed. But rather than increase consumption, Thoreau wanted people to make use of what they had instead—or obtain what they needed in the least costly and least harmful way possible. That’s why he foraged for food and salvaged materials to build his cabin. Thoreau has been characterized as an early proponent of sustainable living. Some experts believe that this practice was motivated by his distress over the ways in which modern economies were bad for people and bad for nature.)

He Wanted to Connect With Nature

A second reason that Thoreau moved to Walden Pond was to live a life attuned to the natural world, rather than set to the rhythm of life in town. He writes that modern society alienates us from the natural world. But staying in touch with the natural world—with its endless cycle of seasonal change and growth—can inspire us, awaken us, and sustain us both physically and spiritually, he contends.

To Thoreau, connecting with nature wasn’t just about watching the sunrise or listening to the owls. He regarded the time he spent learning from nature as the most important part of his spiritual life. He even considered bathing in the pond every morning as a “religious exercise.” Thoreau writes that we can see great dignity and beauty everywhere in the natural world—even in its small and mundane events.

(Shortform note: For Thoreau, the route between nature and civilization was short, both literally and figuratively. Experts say that his attitude toward nature as a place to find spiritual nourishment reflects broader changes in cultural attitudes about the natural world at the time. Around the time Walden was published, Americans were beginning to regard nature as a place where they could seek peace rather than a place where wildness was to be subdued, as the Puritans had believed when they arrived in New England. The Puritans took the Bible at its word when it described the wilderness as “cursed” and a “kind of Hell” on Earth. They believed they were called to reshape the New England wilderness into a paradise instead.)

How You Can Get in Touch With the Natural World

Thoreau wanted to live in accord with the natural world, but he didn’t have to move into remote wilderness to do it. Just as he adopted a lifestyle in tune with nature at the edge of the woods just outside Concord, you can tune into nature without leaving the world behind.

Observe nature closely and without an ulterior motive. Thoreau put significant effort into paying attention to what was going on in the natural world. He writes that we engage with nature in a variety of ways. And some of them make it easier to appreciate the natural world than others. Thoreau contends that people who work in the fields and woods—fishermen, woodchoppers, hunters, and so on—are better able to observe the natural world than poets or philosophers. He also argues that behaving like a naturalist is another meaningful way to observe and learn about nature.

Focus on the here and now. Thoreau made a point of taking life at Walden day by day and paying attention to what was happening around him. For example, he recommends that rather than harvesting ice from the pond to cool their drinks in the summer, as people did at Walden Pond in the winter, we stop worrying constantly about the future and instead live in the present moment.

(Shortform note: If Thoreau’s concerns about living in the present and paying attention sound familiar, you might be onto something. In Thoreau’s Axe, Caleb Smith writes that people in Thoreau’s time were just as concerned with distraction as we are today. Thoreau’s advice to pay attention to the moment—perhaps by strolling through nature—seems to anticipate our modern interest in practicing mindfulness. In The Happiness Trap, Russ Harris writes that mindfulness entails deliberately existing in the present and being aware of and receptive to what you experience. Researchers find that mindfulness can help you improve your focus, reduce stress, become less emotionally reactive, and develop flexibility in the ways that you think.)

He Wanted to Spend Time in Solitude

Thoreau’s third motivation for living in the woods was to experience solitude, which he defined as spending time by himself without feeling alone. According to Thoreau, solitude enables us to find meaning and spiritual purpose. True solitude is also an antidote to a kind of loneliness that Thoreau contends is far too common in society. He argues that people feel more lonely when they spend too much time in society than when they spend time alone, deeply absorbed in their work, in the way that farmers or students become immersed in their tasks. That said, while Thoreau sought solitude, he also believed that he could reap the benefits of time spent alone without being a hermit.

(Shortform note: Thoreau’s decision to seek a life of solitude—as other Transcendentalists were turning to communal living—was unusual. Historians note that in Thoreau’s time, few people chose to live alone. The self-sufficiency characteristic of the traditional New England way of life was built on family labor and collaboration. Thoreau, for example, lived in the Emerson household as a gardener, handyman, and babysitter. Similarly, throughout his life, he supported and was supported by his friends and family in Concord. The town offered him a community of care that enabled him to spend time in thought, alone, when he needed to.)

How You Can Find Meaning in Time Spent Alone

In the same way that Thoreau made the choice to arrange his life so that he would experience solitude each day, you can also make the decision to spend more time—or more meaningful time—by yourself. But you don’t have to move to the woods to do it.

Spend time getting to know yourself. Thoreau contends that we have to understand ourselves before we can understand other people—and that spending time alone is a good way to find that self-knowledge. He explains that it’s never too late for us to take a critical look at what we believe. That way, we can see through illusions that might be commonly accepted in society but prevent us from seeing ourselves for what we really are.

Do the work that you’re meant to do. Thoreau describes solitude as something more than sitting alone in silent contemplation. Instead, solitude involves devoting yourself to the work that you find meaningful, rather than worrying about conforming to other people’s expectations. For example, Thoreau found satisfaction in cultivating his bean field as well as in spending time reading and writing. He chose forms of work that provided for his material and spiritual needs.

(Shortform note: If people often believe that Thoreau was a recluse, another common myth is that he scorned work. But in Henry at Work, John Kaag and Jonathan van Belle explain that Thoreau took on extensive labor, thought deeply about the philosophy of work, and worked hard throughout his life. He believed in seeking out meaningful work—work that engages your full attention and agency—and advises finding work that you can take pride in. For instance, when he worked at his family’s pencil factory, he introduced improvements to many of the factory’s manufacturing methods. Historians say the Thoreau factory was the first in the US to produce pencils that equaled the quality of German Faber pencils, which set the standard at the time.)

Seek the truth. Thoreau also contends that it’s essential to know and accept the truth about who you are and what your circumstances are. That way, you can learn to appreciate life for what it is. He explains that spending time alone enables you to see beyond other people’s interpretations of reality and experience the world for yourself, as it really exists.

(Shortform note: Thoreau believed that solitary time spent walking in the woods and the fields enables you to access knowledge—about yourself and your world—that you wouldn’t otherwise learn. Henry David Thoreau biographer Laura Dassow Walls notes that paying attention to the world beyond yourself, as Thoreau advises, comes with risks. Seeing your world and your place in it requires confronting the reality that American social and political choices have shaped. Walls writes that our political economy is dependent on the destruction of the natural world, the extraction of fossil fuels, and the removal of indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands—realities that come into view more clearly the more you pay attention.)

He Wanted to Carve Out His Own Path

Thoreau’s final motivation for going to Walden involved his confidence in his own choices and his belief that he needed to trust his intuition: He felt that moving to the woods was the right choice for him, so he followed his own path. Thoreau contends that we’re all capable of living moral and meaningful lives if we follow our intuitions and honor our convictions. He writes that there are “higher laws” than those of human society. By distancing himself from the city, even by a short walk through the woods, he could more easily live according to his own values.

Thoreau also champions self-reliance, not only in providing for your own material needs but also in enriching yourself spiritually. He argues that every person needs to seek their own path toward spiritual fulfillment, as an individual independent in their thoughts and actions.

(Shortform note: By living at Walden Pond for two years, Thoreau tried to achieve what Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote about in his essay “Self-Reliance'': the ideal of avoiding conformity and following his own instincts. Some scholars say that it was during the two years at Walden that Thoreau stepped out of Emerson’s shadow and rejected Emerson’s idealism in favor of something more practical. One writer notes that the degree to which we’re free to pursue our own paths is determined by factors that are largely outside of our control. She writes that if Emerson’s idealism seems too optimistic—to Thoreau or to modern readers—it might be because his self-reliance depends on having the social and material resources to be independent.)

How You Can Seek Your Own Path

Acting on Thoreau’s advice to follow your own path could look different for everyone. But he offers two principles that might help you to discern which path to take.

Live an independent life. Thoreau doesn’t argue that you need to ignore society. Instead, he contends that it’s important to find and live according to your values, even when they conflict with what everyone else is doing. (For example, he felt happy to spend a night in jail if that meant that he was living in accordance with what he believed was morally right.) Thoreau writes that by living independently, we can make every moment meaningful.

Don’t be afraid to change course. To Thoreau, finding your own path doesn’t require committing single-mindedly to a destination and never wavering. Instead, he acknowledges that your priorities can change—as his did when he ultimately left Walden after two years. He argues that the important thing is to spend your time in ways that are meaningful to you. Everyone’s path to fulfillment is their own to choose and to change as needed.

(Shortform note: One critic writes that Thoreau’s choice to leave the pond he loved—and would later make famous—was the most interesting choice that Thoreau made during his time in Walden Woods. Thoreau’s decision to move on from the woods that made him so happy seems to illustrate his belief in the necessity of continuing to move forward. Historians say Thoreau continued to return to Walden Pond even after his cabin was sold and dismantled. And for many years, he labeled journal entries “To Walden.” One might argue that Thoreau never truly left Walden behind.)

How Thoreau Is Regarded Today

Modern readings of Thoreau range from reverent to scornful. Some critics object to what they see as Thoreau’s hypocrisy, self-righteousness, and misanthropy. For instance, science writer and environmental journalist Kathryn Schulz describes Walden as a work of “fantasy” and “the original cabin porn.” She writes that Thoreau was a narcissist obsessed with himself and with his pursuit of a lifestyle that met his idiosyncratic standards of purity. According to Schulz, Thoreau’s individualist point of view also led him to some objectionable political ideas—ideas that, she contends, show a lack of trust or concern for other people.

On the other hand, Donovan Hohn writes that Schulz’s portrait of Thoreau reduces him to caricature. Hohn explains that Thoreau thought of Walden as a poem and wrote in a persona that was akin to the “I” in an Emily Dickinson poem. He also notes that when critics take Thoreau too literally, they miss his jokes, hyperbole, metaphor, and parody—such as his statement that he forewent a doormat to avoid “the beginnings of evil,” which plays on the format of a Puritan sermon. Similarly, in The Thoreau You Don’t Know, Robert Sullivan writes that tongue-in-cheek statements throughout Walden reveal Thoreau’s mischievous streak.

Like most people, Thoreau was full of contradictions—or multitudes, as his contemporary and acquaintance Walt Whitman once wrote. Lawrence Buell writes in Henry David Thoreau: Thinking Disobediently that the numerous tensions between Thoreau’s desire to live in the wilderness and his tendency to be a homebody, his activism and his withdrawal, or even his interests in lyricism and in science produce contradictions. Buell writes that while Thoreau’s mentor Emerson saw these contradictions as a failure, these unresolved tensions are part of what makes the real Thoreau so interesting—and so elusive.