80. HENRY DAVID THOREAU: On happiness
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an American writer, poet, philosopher and one of the leading figures of the transcendentalism movement. Besides writing Civil Disobedience, which inspired such revolutionaries as Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jnr, Thoreau is most well-known for his book Walden, in which he recounts the two years he lived in a small cabin in the woods near Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau used the time to immerse himself in his writing and to live a more simple and self-sufficient life. As he put it:
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion.
Have any of you actually read Walden? Do you recommend it?
- Nathanial Hawthorne has a very similar quote attributed to him. Can anyone confirm this is a Thoreau quote? (UPDATE: Thanks to reader Kyle for confirming Thoreau as the author)
- Thanks to Michael for submitting this.
- I’ve mentioned my love for Calvin and Hobbes before. I had Bill Watterson’s watercolour paintings beside me while I was colouring this comic.
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I was wracking my brain trying to figure out what this reminded me of, stylistically. A+ on the subtle homage to Calvin and Hobbes!
I needed this quote right now… thank you gav.
Hey Gavin,
Great work, as usual
Loved the serenity and the coloring of the penultimate pane.
Keep it up!
True… Nice job putting it altogether…
So… happiness is like women… just kidding awesome blog
Bad news, if you have women sitting on your shoulders I’m afraid you’ve been friend zoned
That depends on if she’s sitting on the front of your shoulders or the back of them.
Another great work, Gavin!
Most of your art just really puts a smile on my face
Carry on and inspire more people!
Have a great day!
super!!, just what i need today!!!
thanks Gav
- From Veracruz.Mexico
Nice art style
Walden is a wonderful study. Not always easy or comfortable to absorb, but certainly still the landmark work on discovering the simple truths of life and nature. I have read and listened to it several times. Your beautiful art unlocks the importance as Henry might put it of sauntering.
Walden is “required reading” in my humble opinion. I was handed a copy in my 20s and it changed my entire world view. Its a diary – and should be read in chunks rather than one sitting. I absolutely love Zen Pencils – and thank you for sharing a thoreauism
¡Bravo!
Fantastic man. Just fantastic.
I read Walden in high school. Some of it was over my head then, and I found it kind of dry. After actually visiting the area near Walden Pond on vacation, I re-read it, and loved it!
Awesome bro – love it ; )
Sublime. Right on the nose today.
Thank you so much for the quote by Thoreau! You made my day! Awesome illustration as always!
PRINT AVAILABLE:
http://society6.com/zenpencils/80-HENRY-DAVID-THOREAU_Print
Thanks for the Walden recommendations, looks like I will have to read it
great work Gav, just love your work! i had just started reading Walden and was enthralled by your depiction. Thoreau was a great writer, his thoughts were way ahead of his century, he termed the 19th century as materialistic age and the men as ‘desperate’ with no individual ideas or thoughts and thought that man was going far away from nature, imagine him stupefied, seeing the present situation and the sheer magnitude of destruction we have caused, an individual doesn’t exist now we all are in some or the other group,every place has been inhabited and solitude and peace comes at a cost.
I loved this one! I love the art style, and I love the quote. Your depiction of it is lovely. It doesn’t overshadow the words. Instead, it reinforces them and lifts them up to the next level.
Beautiful! Thank you for your wonderful art. <3
I like this one. Its abslutely perfect. Thanks for it.
This is beauty!
Thank you so much for putting water into my eyes with almost every single quote!
I love the quote and love the artwork, but I’d like to challenge “Kyle” to provide a chapter-and-verse source for Thoreau saying this, which is the only confirmation worth mentioning. I’ve read many of Thoreau’s works, and this does NOT sound like Thoreau’s style at all. A quick text search of HDT’s more famous book-length works on archive.org doesn’t bring it up. I haven’t had time to search the journal entries.
It does show up in nearly every quote website out there, but that alone is not confirmation. Especially since half attribute it to Thoreau and half to Hawthorne.
Wishing that rabbit would have eluded him too
I’m from Massachusetts and I have been to Thoreau’s little cabin in the woods. (not sure if it’s the original or a replica) It’s tiny! I have only read snippets of his writing, and I need to read more!
Great one!
This is great! I love HDT. I read Walden in high school for extra credit and loved it so much I kept all the notes I took and have reread it a few times. What stuck with me the most were his writings on vegetarianism, but there’s something in it for everyone.
Awesome!
Nailed it man! Better than I could have imagined!
When I read the first line, I was a little apprehensive of how you would adapt one of my favourite quotes…but this turned out just perfect. And as Evan said, the subtle homage to Watterson is really neat!
I read Walden a year ago and still keep going back to passages from the book. I found the language tedious in some places and often Thoreau goes into details that are frankly boring. But once every few pages you will come across a line or an insight that will grasp you so strongly that you’ll know it’s a book you want to keep reading. Walden may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think it is as relevant (if not more) today as it was when it was written.
I read your website quite often and each time I am impressed by your topics and artworks. Beautiful
posted at http://www.socomic.gr
Thank you
Read it. Easy read. Excellent book. Interesting both as a period piece and for the philosophy. The piece on vegetarianism made me truly uncomfortable as a omnivore (Thoreau was not a vegetarian…) If you do read it, get a copy with a decent intro and notes – his occasional hypocrisies and contradictions are less off-putting after they’ve been put in context.
I’m slightly dubious about this quote btw: it doesn’t sound like him. Couldn’t find it in any of his eBooks that I’ve got.
I have read Walden twice now and enjoy it greatly. Its not an easy read, but it is well worth it. Its a book that deserves to be read slowly. Preferably a a beat up old paperback edition read while sitting under a tree in the woods or at least a park somewhere.
Hi Gavin,
My instant response to this comic was a gasp. The illustrations and its balmy colours bring out the beauty of the words so well. By allowing your art to flow through you, you inspire so many. May you continue to thrive.
Very well put
Dear Gavin, i absolutely love your drawings. They’re so simple, succint and inspirational! Thank you for sharing with us your talents!!! Keep it up!! (:
I love to collect quote and poem. And this one is just what I need !
I adore your cartoon, Gavin!. I stop by thru Creative Atelier Blog and have fan your facebook (Indie)
Wow. First time I’m visiting your site Gavin and I love it man! Love the creative representation of these inspiring and thought provoking quotes.
Thanks!
Parin
so the guy can catch a rabbit but not a butterfly?
I am in love with these. Your art intertwined with quotes is inspirational. I am a teacher and I know that a lot of students are surrounding themselves with graphic novels more and more, and these are beautiful examples. Thank you for these!
Very nice work. I love also how you move from one style to another, very impressive.
Walden is fantastic. It can be a bit tough at times, but you have to read it for yourself and no one else. Take your time with it if you need to. But if, while reading, you take the time to read it for it’s beauty and what it discusses and depict, you will realize it in all it’s beauty.
Hello Gavin – I’m a new visitor, and I came here to browse the archives of this wonderful site of yours. I “dabble” a bit in art, but your work is most impressive and inspiring. I was thrilled to see you use this quote from Thoreau.
To answer your question about Walden – Yes. Read it. I read it about 4 years ago. It changed my life entirely. Fast-forward to today. I’m currently beginning construction on a small cabin near a pond where I plan to live off-grid and off the land for as long as the spirit moves me. Henry David Thoreau died at the age of 44. I’ll be that age later this year. I hope to pick up where he left off in life in an attempt to discover the things that are truly important in this world.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful artwork with everyone.