Henry David Thoreau
...e death of his brother in 1841, Thoreau was invited to stay with his friend, the philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson, where he was introduced to the philosophy known as transcendentalism. Thoreau also began writing during this period and some of his poems appeared in The Dial. In 1845, Thoreau moved to a hut on Walden Pond, just outside of Concord. For two years he spent most of his time dealing with nature. He supported himself with odd jobs around the area, such as gardening and carpentry. This experience in which Thoreau kept journals describing his observations in being self-sufficient resulted in a long, autobiographical essay called "Walden", his defining work. This essay describes his ideas on how someone should live their life and earn true wealth by wanting little of what money can buy. To Henry, wealth is writing, exploring nature, being himself, and enjoying his life. Walden isn't just a story about a young man earning true worth. It's a real person in a real place living simply and making the best of it. In the summer of 1839, Henry and his brother John went into the White Mountains of New Hampshire on a two-week hiking and boating tour. A decade later this trip would become Thoreau's first book. It's not just about his adventure here, but a look into Thoreau's heart and his idea of ...