None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
Nature must be viewed humanly to be viewed at all; that is, her scenes must be associated with humane affections, such as are associated with one's native place. She is most significant to a lover. A lover of Nature is preeminently a lover of man. If I have no friend, what is Nature to me? She ceases to be morally significant. . .
Interpretation
What this quote means
Nature's beauty is truly appreciated when connected to human emotion and experiences.
Henry David Thoreau emphasizes that nature's significance is deeply intertwined with human emotions and relationships. He argues that the appreciation for nature grows stronger when it is linked to personal connections and love for one's surroundings and humanity. Without these connections, nature loses its moral and emotional value, highlighting the importance of companionship in experiencing the beauty of the natural world.
Themes
NatureLoveHuman ConnectionEmotionSignificance
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech about environmental conservation to emphasize the emotional connection people have with nature.
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.
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Have no mean hours, but be grateful for every hour, and accept what it brings. The reality will make any sincere record respectable.
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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.
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That grand old poem called Winter
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