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A Walk to Wachusett by Henry David Thoreau

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“It not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see” once stated Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau was not famously recognized while he was living; however, as his work matured he was noticed more and more as a prominent writer and is now cherished by millions of readers today. Thoreau's work reflected his rugged individualism and living close to nature, protesting America's move from an agrarian society to the Industrial Revolution, people who shared his concerns of a changing world were inspired and valued his work, therefore, flourishing his reputation.
Henry David Thoreau’s early life began in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12, 1817. He was baptized as David Henry Thoreau later reversing his middle and first names. He was raised with his older siblings John and Helen and his younger sister Sophia. His father managed a local pencil factory, and his mother rented out rooms in the family’s house to boarders. His mother encouraged his love of nature. As a young boy, every morning he would go out for a walk in the woods to seek inspiration and admire the natural beauty. When Thoreau started school, he attended Concord public schools and later, his mother insisted that all the children go to a prestigious private Concord Academy. A bright student Thoreau entered Harvard College in 1833. Unfortunately, for financial reasons Thoreau had to drop out and began teaching a small school in Canton, Massachusetts. In 1838, he left to start his own school with the help of his brother John and it prospered for a while. However it eventually collapsed a few years later when his brother grew ill. Thoreau went back to help his father in the pencil making business. After college, Thoreau met Ralph Waldo Emerson and shortly after they beca...

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