Walden and civil disobedience

Walden and Civil Disobedience, the two well-known works of Henry David Thoreau have become parts of the fibre of the American character. Walden is the artistic record of Thoreau's experiences during his two years of sojourn by the pond. Here, the natural world is confronted on its own terms and many brilliant, pithy things are said, offer Ing 'just comments' on society as it is. Civil Disobedience is also an artistic record of a man's confrontation, but rather with an imperfect society. An outcome of his prison experience, the work is an allegory for our time on the artist as politician-strong, powerful, influential, and serviceable in the earnest practice of his art.

This edition presents authoritative versions of the texts. Annotations and secondary materials are provided, brief notes following the texts discuss the sources for the texts, and unfamiliar words, persons, quotations are identified to enhance reader's awareness of the scope of Thoreau's reading. The background materials, reviews, and essays are representative of the diversity of opinion that has been expressed since Walden's publication in 1854. The present book draws upon the work of several generations of scholars and is well worth the reading, both for its actual contents and suggestive capacity.