Henry David Thoreau

“ Thoreau has been variously criticised as a naturalist, one writer speaking of him as not by nature an observer, as making no discoveries, as being surprised by phenomena familiar to other people, though he adds that this " is one of his chief charms as a writer," since "everything grows fresh under his hand." ”

“ Had his life continued, very likely he would have produced some such work from the materials and suggestions contained in his Journal, and this would have been doubtless far more complete and beautiful than anything we can now construct from fragmentary passages. ”