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Excerpt from Thoreau

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photo by Sylvia

August 1850

As my eye rested on the blossom of the meadow–sweet in a hedge, I heard the note of an autumnal cricket, and was penetrated with the sense of autumn. Was it sound? or was it form? or was it scent? or was it flavor? It is now the royal month of August.

The question is not what you look at, but what you see.

photo by Sylvia

Excerpt from the book: The Journal 1837-1861 by Henry David Thoreau

22 thoughts on “Excerpt from Thoreau”

    1. Yes, you’re right, August isn’t autumn. It’s been so very hot here, it doesn’t feel like autumn in that regard, but there is a difference in the light and maybe even the smell? When I read that passage this morning it spoke to me very much. But then, I am always in awe of Thoreau’s words.

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      1. I have two of his books and they are still unread (for now) but yes, there is a change in the light and the scent, and the sounds.
        As for the temps, here they have cooled off today after a magnificent weekend.

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  6. We had an autumnal day yesterday … low clouds, cool temps, thoughts of wearing long pants. I was glad I didn’t have to turn on the furnace. Not ready for that. Cricket sounds, didn’t hear any. We’ve had cricket sounds since early July though.

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    1. Temps here have been very hot, so it still feels very much like summer but the light is different, there is a marked difference in the month of August, I find. (and I guess so did Thoreau!)

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