海角大神

Seemingly everyone in Concord, Massachusetts, noticed that Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an imitator of the already famous author Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882). Emerson knew from the start of their friendship in 1837, however, that Thoreau was creating something different with the intellectual material that Emerson had mined. Emerson did not begrudge it: 鈥淚 am very familiar with all his thoughts, 鈥� they are my own quite originally drest.鈥�

In Solid Seasons: The Friendship of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, author Jeffrey S. Cramer describes how, as in all long friendships, the pair had their sunny and overcast days as well as periods of revelation and frustration. He writes: 鈥淲hile Emerson found Thoreau鈥檚 constant aspect of reform and rebellion tedious 鈥� 鈥楢lways some weary captious paradox to fight you with ...鈥� 鈥� Thoreau saw a man he doubted 鈥榗ould trundle a wheelbarrow through the streets, because it would be out of character.鈥欌�� Each helped the other see himself 鈥� both strengths and limitations 鈥� more clearly. 鈥淚f I have not succeeded in my friendships,鈥� wrote Thoreau in his journal, 鈥渋t was because I demanded more of them and did not put up with what I could get; and I got no more partly because I gave so little.鈥�

To my surprise, being a Thoreau man myself, Emerson comes off better and wiser and he鈥檚 more perceptive about and accepting of his friend: 鈥淚t seemed as if his first instinct on hearing a proposition was to controvert it, so impatient was he of the limitations of our daily thought. This habit, of course, is a little chilling to the social affections; and though the companion would in the end acquit him of any malice or untruth, yet it mars conversation. Hence, no equal companion stood in affectionate relations with one so pure and guileless.鈥�

Thoreau had an extraordinarily fine and responsive vision of the natural world, but he viewed adults as almost all of a kind. He hated recognizing Emerson鈥檚 conventionality and ability to be not only a social family man but a grand 鈥渞epresentative鈥� man. Thoreau took Emerson鈥檚 help, interest, and favors for granted and gave in return only himself; but even that exchange of benefits disappointed Thoreau, as he felt in Emerson鈥檚 presence that he could not be absolutely open: 鈥淚t is impossible to say all that we think, even to our truest Friend.鈥� This was a sad reflection, but elsewhere Thoreau declared rather more plaintively: 鈥淎ctually I have no friend. I am very distant from all actual persons.鈥� Friendship with Emerson could not build a bridge from Thoreau to a landscape where he was satisfied with humankind.

Both suffered losses of beloved family members, but Emerson more so, in greater number and in closer proximity. Neither could lighten the other鈥檚 grief, but Emerson was more observant of his friend鈥檚 qualities than Thoreau was of his. It surprises me how vague Thoreau is when it comes to detailing his thoughts about Emerson. While Thoreau鈥檚 journals can excite one鈥檚 interest in the seasonal changes and very particular characteristics of creatures and plants, darned if he can ever pinpoint Emerson鈥檚 or anybody else鈥檚 personality.

Thoreau鈥檚 literary influence has grown into international renown while Emerson鈥檚 writing seems stuck in its own time and place. Thanks to author Jeffrey Cramer, we can see that for all of Thoreau鈥檚 integrity, he could not fully appreciate Emerson. Thoreau lacked Emerson鈥檚 ability to love another, warts and all.

Bob Blaisdell edited 鈥淭horeau鈥檚 Book of Quotations鈥� for Dover Books.