Henry David Thoreau lived a pretty extraordinary life. At one point he spent two years living almost in complete solitude in a cabin in the woods in Massachusetts that he'd built himself. Take that, lumbersexuals. He wanted to escape society and to see what it really felt like to live alone and be completely independent.

Thoreau, like Emerson, wrote essays, poetry, and journalism. He was an abolitionist who often wrote about the evils of slavery. He believed we should all stand up to our governments if they're not doing the right thing. Um, yeah: he's a cool guy.

Walden (1854)

Thoreau's book Walden is a reflection on his two years living in the woods near Walden Pond in Massachusetts. The guy just took off to live in the middle of nowhere, in a cabin that he'd built.

The book embodies many American Romantic themes: Thoreau talks about nature, the importance of staying true to our own individuality, and the necessity of self-reliance. A pond in the middle of the woods does sound like a pretty romantic getaway, after all… but it's also a pretty Romantic getaway.

"Resistance to Civil Government" (or "Civil Disobedience") (1849)

In this famous essay, Thoreau argues that we shouldn't always be obedient to our governments. After all, governments aren't always right. What if our government starts an unjust war? Or what if it sanctions slavery (like the American government did until Lincoln came along and abolished slavery)?

Thoreau's essay is so famous because it was one of the earliest American writings to elaborate the idea of "civil disobedience." This idea, of course, became huge during the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S., more than a hundred years later.

In its emphasis on being true to our conscience, as opposed to our government, the essay reflects the American Romantic ideal of individualism. We should always listen to ourselves first, before we listen to anyone else. Except your good buddy Shmoop: you should always listen to us.

Chew On This

In "Resistance to Civil Government" (also known as "Civil Disobedience"), Henry David Thoreau suggests that we must be true to the ideals of democracy and freedom—even if that means disobeying our own government. Have a look at this quotation from the essay.

Thoreau's Walden is full of many beautiful descriptions of nature—a big theme in American Romantic writing. Dive into Thoreau's description of a lake here.