Henry David Thoreau is a renowned American essayist, transcendentalist, philosopher, and writer He is best known for his works including Walden and Civil Disobedience, which has inspired millions of people the world over. Thoreau was a passionate believer in individualism and his writings re-affirmed the long-held notion of "Live simply, that others may simply live." He wrote extensively on nature, politics, and economics and his works have been widely studied and discussed around the world.
Thoreau's essays are unique in that they often contained original ideas and fresh observations on a variety of topics. He had a particular talent for expressing himself in a way that was both meaningful and direct. His writing often contained a mix of poetry and philosophy that made it both entertaining and thought-provoking.
In order to provide a better understanding of the kind of topics Thoreau explored, here are five essay prompts from his works that could be used for an assignment:
1. Discuss Thoreau's view on the role of government in society as expressed in his essay, "Civil Disobedience".
2. Analyze the importance of individual autonomy and self-reliance in Thoreau's essay, "Walden".
3. Examine the relationship between nature and society in Thoreau's essay, “Wild Apples”.
4. Analyze Thoreau’s use of nature as an example of his philosophy in his essay “A Plea for John Brown”.
5. Explain Thoreau's view on the use of technology, as expressed in his poem, "Our Education: Nature and Technology".
These five essay topics provide a broad overview of the kind of topics Thoreau explored in his writing. They also provide a great platform for further research and exploration into Thoreau's views and his place in American intellectual history.