None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Instead of water we got here a draught of beer, a lumberer's drink, which would acclimate and naturalize a man at once,-which would make him see green, and, if he slept, dream that he heard the wind sough among the pines.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the deep connection between nature and human experience, suggesting that natural elements can profoundly influence our perception and dreams.
Thoreau's quote encapsulates the essence of nature's ability to transform our understanding and experiences. By comparing water with beer, he implies that nature offers a more profound nourishment for our souls, one that aligns us with our surroundings. The imagery of green landscapes and the sound of wind through the trees evokes a sense of serenity and connection to the earth, highlighting how the natural world can enrich our lives and alter our subconscious thoughts.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared at a nature retreat to emphasize the importance of connection with the environment.
More from Henry David Thoreau
All quotes →Through want of enterprise and faith men are where they are, buying and selling and spending their lives like servants.
An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
Have no mean hours, but be grateful for every hour, and accept what it brings. The reality will make any sincere record respectable.
As every season seems best to us in its turn, so the coming in of spring is like the creation of Cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the Golden Age.
That grand old poem called Winter
Similar quotes
We are extremely uncomfortable with the spiritual aspects of gardening, and yet most people feel it in some form or other, even if it's a sense of connection to the greater world on a beautiful day.
Walking on willow tree roads by a river dappled with peach blossoms, I look for spring light, but am everywhere lost. Birds fly up and scatter floating catkins. A ponderous wave of flowers sags the branches.
The sky slowly pulled up its blue dress to reveal night.
Nature tells every secret once.
The tree I had in the garden as a child, my beech tree, I used to climb up there and spend hours. I took my homework up there, my books, I went up there if I was sad, and it just felt very good to be up there among the green leaves and the birds and the sky.
There is no closed figure in nature. Every shape participates with another. No one thing is independent of another, and one thing rhymes with another, and light gives them shape.