The Poetry of Henry Thoreau

Light-winged Smoke, Icarian bird,
Melting thy pinions in thy upward flight,
Lark without song, and messenger of dawn
Circling above the hamlets as they nest;
Or else, departing dream, and shadowy form
Of midnight vision, gathering up thy skirts;
By night star-veiling, and by day
Darkening the light and blotting out the sun;
Go thou my incense upward from this hearth,
And ask the gods to pardon this clear flame.

In 1842, Henry David Thoreau lived alongside Walden Pond, and he wrote a deeply wonderful book in dedication of his brother, who had recently died. For this work and the political essay On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau is widely known; however this Harvard educated man of letters was also a gifted poet, and it was his poetry that revealed his self.

Henry David Thoreau was born David Henry Thoreau on July 12 1817in Concord, Massachusetts. Although his family lived in relative poverty, he was bale to attend Harvard, like his maternal grandfather. Having clearly individual ideas, Thoreau changed his name to Henry David and returned home to help his family and work as a teacher. His career as a public school teacher ended quickly and as a result, he and his brother, John Jr., opened a school based on the teachings of American Transcendentalism. At this same time, in 1837, he began to write essays and poetry for Ralph Waldo Emerson’s literary magazine, The Dial.

In his early writing career, Thoreau thought of himself as a poet; however, it became clear that poetry was a restrictive medium for him. His verses were seen as inferior to his stylistic prose. Nonetheless, he wrote nearly 300 poems. Similar in theme to his essays, his verse expressed his insight regarding nature, injustice, and love.

Thoreau’s career as a poet spanned about thirteen years with the majority of his verses being written prior to Walden Pond and the death of his brother. Eighty-five of his verses were published in various periodicals during his lifetime, but the first volume of poetry was published after his death.

Whate’er we leave to God, God does,
And blesses us;
The work we choose should be our own,
God leaves alone

If with light head erect I sing,
Though all the Muses lend their force,
From my poor love of anything,
The verse is weak and shallow as its source.

Thoreau believed that a poet’s role was to reveal nature’s truth and many agree that his best poems speak about the human relationships and life. Thoreau’s most famous poem is Smoke which appears in his House Warming Chapter of Walden. Other notable samples of Thoreau’s poetic meditations include Inspiration and Pray to What Earth.

Thoreau was a writer, whose prose shadowed his poetry. His verses however revealed a great deal about the inner man and his love for his craft. Among his own circle of talented writers, he was respected and sometimes praised for his poetry. During his life and soon after his death, his poetry received little attention. However, poetry lovers can early understand and appreciate his thoughtful and intelligent rhymes. In one of his shortest verses, Thoreau spoke about his life. In his poem, he wrote that

My life has been the poem I would have writ,
But I could not both live and utter it.”

Like many of the brilliant writers of his age, Thoreau succumbed to illness and did not fully recover. He died in his home of Concord in May 1862. Upon his death, he left American writers, the legacy of insightful prose and perceptive verse.

For more information on Henry David Thoreau, a copy of his great works, including On Walden Pond and a Collection of Poems of Henry Thoreau, can be found in local libraries, online book dealers and bookstores. The web also offers some useful resources about his life and work. Check out the following:

http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/thoreau/

http://www.enotes.com/poetry-criticism/thoreau-henry-david