9.05.2014

stars of poetry and history
...Thoreau's Journal: 05-Sep-1851

Moonlight on Fair Haven Pond seen from the Cliffs. A sheeny lake in the midst of a boundless forest, the windy surf sounding freshly and wildly in the single pine behind you; the silence of hushed wolves in the wilderness, and, as you fancy, moose looking off from the shores of the lake. The stars of poetry and history and unexplored nature looking down on the scene. This is my world now, with a dull whitish mark curving northward through the forest marking the outlet to the lake. Fair Haven by moonlight lies there like a lake in the Maine wilderness in the midst of a primitive forest untrodden by man. This light and this hour take the civilization all out of landscape. Even in villages dogs bay the moon; in forests like this we listen to hear wolves howl to Cynthia.

4 comments:

said...

Henry, methinks that human CULTure kept the 'civilization' from ever havin' been there.....or anywhere, outside of a few individuals.

Brad said...

This one is pure poetry, Henry. Echoes my feelings exactly on natural life in my bend of shaded woods, but it is getting a bit too chilled out to fully enjoy it.

steve roggenbuck said...

wow this is beautiful; i must read thoreau's journals. great idea for this blog in general, too. thankyou for it

michael jameson said...

in the journey of life sometimes we find a place where we feel and say, i am home!!,i have found three of those places, live in one and yearn for the others! when i visit one,i yearn for the other two!, this is good i think!. michael jameson oldantiqueguy@hotmail.com