Walden | Henry David Thoreau

 Reading

A written word is the choicest of relics. It is something at once more intimate with us and more universal than an other work or art. It is the work of art nearest to life itself. It may be translated into every language, and not only be read but actually breathed from all human lips; - not be represented on canvas or in marble only, but be carved out of the breath of life itself.

[Alexander carried the Illiad with him on his expeditions in a precious casket. ]

Books are the treasured wealth of the world and for inheritance of generations and nations. Books, the oldest and best, stand naturally and rightfully on the shelves of every cottage.

Those who have not learned to read the ancient classics in the language in which they were written must have a very imperfect knowledge of the history of human race, for it is remarkable that no transcript of them has ever been made into any modern tongue, unless our civilization itself may be regarded as such a transcript.

 

Words

Reflection:

 

I can understand why Thoreau seem so appealing to Laoshi when he was young, he is witty, straight to the points and always clad it with a sense of humour,  yet  he didn't mask his sharpness in his analysis.   

 

On Reading, he analyse words in terms of sound, and how word  works as relics and its significance  to individual as well as the whole human race. 

 

We should learn to read in ancient language in order to get the full/ better understanding of the history of human race.  He said. When he wrote this, the world had already been preoccupied with news, unimportant one to be precise. 

 

I wonder how will he live if he could live at this era, we are not only preoccupied with unimportant scraps of information, and we are being made into mindless consumers.

 

Sontag: We will be the traveller/ on looker of our own lives,  eventually. 

 

 

 

Updates: I will try to write more at this little corner of myself.