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TextALifeintheWoods
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—fromWalden(Chapter2)
HenryDavidThoreau
[1]WhenfirstItookupmyabodeihatis,begantospendmynightsaswellasdaysthere,which,byat,wasonIndependenceDay,ortheFourthofJuly,1845,myhousewasnotfinishedforwiwasmerelyadefetherain,withoutplasteringorey,thewallsbeingh,weather-stainedboards,withwideks,whichmadeitight.Theuprightwhitehewnstudsandfreshlyplaneddoorandwindowgsgaveitadairylook,espethem,whenitstimbersweresaturatedwithdew,sothatIfabygumwouldexudefromtheTomyimaginatiohroughoutthedaymoreorlessofthisauroralcharacter,remindingmeofahouseonamountainwhichIhadvisitedayearbefore.Thiswasanairyandunplastered,fittoeravellinggod,andwhereagoddessmighttrailhergarments.Thewindswhichpassedovermydwellingweresuchassweepesofmouhebrokenstraiialpartsorialmusic.Themwindforeverblows,thepoemofisued;butfewaretheearsthathearit.Olympusisbuttheoutsideoftheeartheverywhere.
[2]TheonlyhouseIhadbeentheownerofbefore,ifIexceptaboat,wasatent,whichIusedoallywhenmakingexsinthesummer,andthisisstillrolledupihebfromhandtohand,hasgohestreamoftime.Withthismoresubstaeraboutme,Ihadmadesresstowardsettlihisframe,soslightlyclad,wasasortofcrystallizationaroundme,ahebuilder.Itwassuggestivesomeioutlines.Ididogooutdoorstotaketheair,fortheatmospherewithinhadlostsfreshwasnotsomudoorsasbehindadoorwhereIsat,eveweather.TheHarivansasays,“Abirdsislikeameatwithoutseasoning.”
Suyabode,forIfoundmyselfsuddeothebirds;notbyhavingimprisohavingcagedmyselfheIwasnotoosomeofthosewhiohegardenandtheorchard,buttothosesmallerahrilliheforestwhiever,orrarely,serenadeavillager—thewoodthrush,theveery,thesager,thefieldsparrow,thewhip-poor-will,andmanyothers.
[3]Iwasseatedbytheshoreofasmallpond,aboutamileandahalfsouthofthevillageofdsomewhathigherthanit,iofaeweenthattownandLindabouttwomilessouthofthatouronlyfieldknowntofame,cordBattleGround;butIoodsthattheoppositeshore,halfamileoff,liketherest,coveredasmymostdistanthorizoweek,wheneverIlookedoutoimpressedmelikeatarnhighuponthesideofamountain,itsbottomfarabovethesurfaceofotherlakes,and,asthesunarose,Isawitthrowingoffitsnightlyist,ahere,bydegrees,itssoftripplesoritssmsurfacewasrevealed,whilethemists,likeghosts,werestealthilywithdrawiionintothewoods,asatthebreakingupofsomenoalticle.Theverydewseemedtohangupoerihanusual,asonthesidesofmountains.
[4]Thissmalllakewasofmostvalueasaneighboriervalsofageust,when,bothairandwaterbeiill,buttheskyovercast,mid-afternoonhadalltheserenityofevening,ahrushsangaround,andwasheardfromshoretoshore.Alakelikethisisherthanatsuchatime;aionoftheairaboveitbeing,shallowanddarkenedbyclouds,thewater,fulloflightaions,beesalowerheavenitselfsomuportant.Fromahill-topnearby,wherethewoodhadbeeoff,thereleasingvistasouthwardacrossthephawideiioninthehillswhitheshorethere,wheretheiroppositesidesslopingtowardeachestedastreamflowingoutinthatdirethroughawoodedvalley,butstreamtherewaswayIlookedbetweeheosomedistantandhigherohehorizohblue.IandingontiptoeIcouldcatchaglimpseofsomeofthepeaksofthestillblueramesihwest,thosetrueblueheaven’sownmint,andalsoofsomeportionofthevillage.Butiiohispoint,Iotseeoverorbeyondthewoodswhie.Itiswelltohavesomewaterinyhborhood,togivebuoyandfloattheearth.Ohesmallestwellis,thatwhenyoulookintoityouseethatearthisnottbutinsular.ThisisasimportantasthatitkeepsbutterIlookedacrossthepondfromthispeaktowardtheSudburymeadows,whitimeoffloodIdistiedperhapsbyamirageihingvalley,likeaabasihbeyondthepondappearedlikeathinsulatedandfloatedevenbythissmallsheetwater,andIwasremihisonasbutdryland.
[5]Thoughtheviewfrommydoorwasstillmoretracted,Ididnotfeelcrowdedoredihereastureenination.ThelolateautowhichtheoppositeshorearosestretchedarairiesoftheWestaartary,affampleroomforalltherovingfamiliesofmen.“Therearenonehappyintheworldbutbeingswhoehorizon”
—saidDamodara,whenhisherdsrequiredneastures.
[6]Bothpladtimewereged,ahosepartsoftheuhoseerasinhistorywhichhadmostattractedme.WhereIlivedwasasfaroffasmanyaregiolybyastrotoimaginerareaableplaoteaialerofthesystem,behiellationofCassiopeia’sChair,farfromurbance.Idiscoveredthatmyhouseactuallyhaditssiteinsuchawithdrawn,butforevernerofaoftheuwereworththewhiletosettleishePleiadesortheHyades,toAldebaranorAltair,thehere,orataehelifewhichIhadleftbehind,dwiwinklingwithasfihbor,andtobeseenonlyisbyhiSuchartofwhereIhadsquatted:
“Thereherdthatdidlive,
Ahoughtsashigh
&hemountswhereonhisflocks
Didhourlyfeedhimby.”
Whatshouldwethinkoftheshepherd’slifeifhisflocksalwayswaohigherpasturesthanhisthoughts?
[7]EverymwasacheerfulinvitationtomakemylifeofequalsimplidImaysayihNatureherself.IhavebeenassincereaworshipperofAuroraastheGreeks.Igotupearlyahepond;thatwasareligiousexerdohingswhichIdid.TheysaythatcharacterswereehebathingtubofKingTgtothiseffeewthyselfpletelyeachday;doitagain,andagain,andfain.”
Iderstandthat.Msbacktheheroicages.Iwasasmuchaffectedbythefainthumofamosquitomakingitsinvisibleandunimagihroughmyapartmedaassittingwithdoorandwindowsopen,asIcouldbebyaeversawasHomer’srequiem;itselfanIliadaheair,singingitsownwrathaherewassomethingicalaboutit;asta,tillforbiddeingvigorayoftheworld.Them,whichisthemostmemorableseasonoftheday,istheawakeninghour.Thesomnolenus;andforanhour,atleast,somepartofusawakeswhichslumbersalltherestofthedayandnight.Littleistobeexpectedofthatday,ifitbecalledaday,towhichwearenotawakenedbyenius,butbythemeudgingsofsomeservitor,arenotawakenedbyourownnewlyacquiredfordaspirationsfromaheundulatioialmusisteadoffactorybells,andafragrangtheair—toahigherlifethanfrom;andthusthedarksfruit,aobegood,helight.Thatmabelievethateatainsanearlier,moresadauroralhourthaprofaned,hasdespairedoflife,andispursuingadesddarkeningartialofhissensuouslife,thesoulansrather,arereinvigoratedeadhisGeniustriesagainwhatmake.Allmemorableevents,Ishouldsay,transpireinmtimeandinamatmosphere.TheVedassay,“Allintelligehe”
Poetryandart,aandmostmemorableoftheaen,datefromsuhour.Allpoetsandheroes,likeMemheofAurora,aheirmusirise.Tohimwhoseelastidvightkeepspacewiththesun,thedayisaperpetualItmattersnotwhattheclockssayortheattitudesandlaborsofmen.MiswhenIamawakeandthereisadawninme.Moralreformistheefforttothrowoffsleep.Whyisitthatmengivesopooranatoftheirdayiftheyhavenotbeeheyarenotsuchpoorcalculators.Iftheyhadnotbeehdrowsiheyerformedsomething.Themillionsareawakeenoughforphysicallabor;butonlyoneinamillionisawakeenoughforeffetellectualexertion,onlyoneinahundredmillionstoapoetielife.Tobeawakeistobealive.Ihaveamanwhowasquiteawake.HowcouldIhavelookedhimintheface?
[8]Wemustlearntoreaourselvesawake,notbymeicalaids,butbyaionofthedawn,whiotforsakeusinoursousleep.Iknowofnomfatheuioyofmaehislifebyasdeavor.Itissomethiopaintaparticularpicture,ortocarveastatue,andsotomakeafewobjectsbeautiful;butitisfarmlorioustodpaimosphereahroughhichmorallywedo.Toaffectthequalityoftheday,thatisthehighestofarts.Everymaomakehislife,eveniails,worthyoftheplationofhismostelevatedandcriticalhour.Ifwerefused,orratherusedup,suchpaltryinformatioheoracleswoulddistinushowthismightbedone.
[9]IwenttothewoodsbecauseIwishedtolivedeliberately,tofrontoialfactsoflife,andseeifIotlearnwhatithadtoteaot,wheodie,discoverthatIhadnotlived.Ididnotwishtolivewhatwasnotlife,livingissodear;nordidIwishtopractiseresignatiowasquitenecessary.Iwaolivedeepandsuckoutallthemarrowoflife,tolivesosturdilyandSpartaoputtoroutallthatwasabroadswathaodrivelifeintoadreduceittoitslowestterms,and,ifitprovedtobemeathewholeandgenui,andpublishitsmeaheworld;orifitweresublime,toknowitbyexperiendbeabletogiveatrueayexostmeome,areinastrayaboutit,whetheritisofthedevilod,ahastilycludedthatitisthedlodandenjoyhimforever.”
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