Book SummaryWalden, by Henry David Thoreau

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Walden

More than 160 years after Walden was first published in 1854, people still read Henry David Thoreau’s book about the life he lived, alone, in the woods of eastern Massachusetts. In the 1840s, Thoreau built a cabin at Walden Pond, on the outskirts of Concord, and lived there for two years. As he recounts what occurred during his time in the woods, Thoreau contends that we should all seek to live a simpler life—one unconstrained by society’s expectations, aligned with our own values, and in accord with the natural world.

Thoreau was a naturalist, essayist, philosopher, and central figure in the 19th-century movement called Transcendentalism. The Transcendentalists believed in the [goodness of humans and...

Walden Summary What Did Thoreau Do at Walden?

Thoreau decided to move into the woods near Walden Pond as an experiment in finding a simpler life: one lived in harmony with nature, at a (walkable) distance from the industrialized society that was then emerging in Concord. What he did with his time provides meaningful context for the principles that guided him both during his time at Walden and afterward—principles we’ll explore later in the guide.

In this section, we’ll first discuss what Thoreau did to prepare to move to Walden Pond. Then, we’ll explain the activities that filled his time once he began living in his cabin. These activities enabled him to support himself and also to build a meaningful life during his time in the woods.

Before Walden Pond

Before he could move to the woods, Thoreau needed a place to live. He planned to build a small cabin and chose a site in the woods a mile and a half south of Concord, Massachusetts, near Walden Pond. He explains that he chose a spot situated in the middle of a forest of young pitch pines and hickories. He felled pines, salvaged building materials, dug a cellar, and (with the help of friends) built a 10-by-15-foot cabin. He furnished the cabin simply, with a...

Walden Summary 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...

Walden Summary 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...

Shortform Exercise: Find Your Walden

Thoreau believed that you can never experience enough of the natural world: In any place and during any season, there’s always something to observe. And by becoming more attuned to nature, you can gain greater insight into your place in the world. Fortunately, you don’t have to move to the woods to experience this for yourself.

Where can you go to observe the natural world more closely? (Maybe there’s a forest behind your house, or perhaps there’s a small city park across from your office.)