Henry David Thoreau: Collected Essays and Poems

Henry David Thoreau crafted essays that reflect his speculative and probing cast of mind. In his poems, he gave voice to his private sentiments and spiritual aspirations in the plain style of New England speech. Now, The Library of America brings together these indispensable works in one authoritative volume. The 27 essays gathered here range over all of Thoreau's concerns, from natural and literary history to the struggle against slavery, and include such masterpieces as "Civil Disobedience," his great exploration of the conflict between individual conscience and state power; "Walking," a meditation on wilderness and civilization; and "Life Without Principle," a passionate critique of American materialism and conformity. The poems collected here, some for the first time, are presented in versions often taken from Thoreau's journal and manuscripts. They reveal him as a poet whose mercurial visions are often expressed with rare precision and immediacy.