--- title: "8 Marrow Quotes By Henry David Thoreau" description: "8 Marrow quotes by Henry David Thoreau. Plus more from Henry David Thoreau and more Marrow sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/henry-david-thoreau-20_achilles_when-we-consider-the-weak-and-nerveless_142121.jpg" --- > [When we consider the weak and nerveless periods of some literary men, who perchance in feet and inches come up to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-we-consider-the-weak-and-nerveless-periods-of-some-literary-men/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/henry-david-thoreau-20_achilles_when-we-consider-the-weak-and-nerveless_142121.jpg) > [I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-went-to-the-woods-because-i-wished-to-live-deliberately-to-front/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6a/henry-david-thoreau-20_broads_i-went-to-the-woods-because-i-wished-to_374042.jpg) > [I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-went-to-the-woods-because-i-wished-to-live-deliberately/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/831/henry-david-thoreau-20_adventure_i-went-to-the-woods-because-i-wished-to_883741.jpg) > [The civilized nations--Greece, Rome, England--have been sustained by the primitive forests which anciently rotted where they stand. They survive as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-civilized-nations-greece-rome-england-have-been-sustained-by-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b22/henry-david-thoreau-20_alas_the-civilized-nations-greece-rome-englan_1415778.jpg) > [I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-wanted-to-live-deep-and-suck-out-all-the-marrow-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/023/henry-david-thoreau-20_dead-poets_i-wanted-to-live-deep-and-suck-out-all-t_1629146.jpg) > [When I would re-create myself, I seek the darkest wood, the thickest and most interminable and to the citizen, most dismal, swamp.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-i-would-re-create-myself-i-seek-the-darkest-wood-the-thickest/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b1/henry-david-thoreau-20_citizens_when-i-would-re-create-myself-i-seek-the_1881044.jpg) > [I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-did-not-wish-to-live-what-was-not-life-living-is-so-dear-nor-did-i/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/daf/henry-david-thoreau-20_dear_i-did-not-wish-to-live-what-was-not-life_2612728.jpg) > [If you stand right fronting and face to face to a fact, you will see the sun glimmer on both its surfaces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-you-stand-right-fronting-and-face-to-face-to-a-fact-you-will-see/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/henry-david-thoreau-20_alive_if-you-stand-right-fronting-and-face-to_3212539.jpg) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marrow/henry-david-thoreau/#itemlist", "name": "8 Marrow Quotes By Henry David Thoreau", "numberOfItems": 8, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When we consider the weak and nerveless periods of some literary men, who perchance in feet and inches come up to the standard oftheir race, and are not deficient in girth also, we are amazed at the immense sacrifice of thews and sinews. What! these proportions, these bones,--and this their work! Hands which could have felled an ox have hewed this fragile matter which would not have tasked a lady's fingers! 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I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-went-to-the-woods-because-i-wished-to-live-deliberately-to-front/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6a/henry-david-thoreau-20_broads_i-went-to-the-woods-because-i-wished-to_374042.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6a/henry-david-thoreau-20_broads_i-went-to-the-woods-because-i-wished-to_374042.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6a/henry-david-thoreau-20_broads_i-went-to-the-woods-because-i-wished-to_374042.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and…” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-went-to-the-woods-because-i-wished-to-live-deliberately/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/831/henry-david-thoreau-20_adventure_i-went-to-the-woods-because-i-wished-to_883741.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/831/henry-david-thoreau-20_adventure_i-went-to-the-woods-because-i-wished-to_883741.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/831/henry-david-thoreau-20_adventure_i-went-to-the-woods-because-i-wished-to_883741.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The civilized nations--Greece, Rome, England--have been sustained by the primitive forests which anciently rotted where they stand. They survive as long as the soil is not exhausted. Alas for human culture! little is to be expected of a nation, when the vegetable mould is exhausted, and it is compelled to make manure of the bones of its fathers. 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I enter as a sacred place, a Sanctum sanctorum. There is the strength, the marrow, of Nature.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-i-would-re-create-myself-i-seek-the-darkest-wood-the-thickest/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b1/henry-david-thoreau-20_citizens_when-i-would-re-create-myself-i-seek-the_1881044.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b1/henry-david-thoreau-20_citizens_when-i-would-re-create-myself-i-seek-the_1881044.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b1/henry-david-thoreau-20_citizens_when-i-would-re-create-myself-i-seek-the_1881044.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I would re-create myself, I seek the darkest wood, the thickest and most interminable and to the…” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-did-not-wish-to-live-what-was-not-life-living-is-so-dear-nor-did-i/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/daf/henry-david-thoreau-20_dear_i-did-not-wish-to-live-what-was-not-life_2612728.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/daf/henry-david-thoreau-20_dear_i-did-not-wish-to-live-what-was-not-life_2612728.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/daf/henry-david-thoreau-20_dear_i-did-not-wish-to-live-what-was-not-life_2612728.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless…” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you stand right fronting and face to face to a fact, you will see the sun glimmer on both its surfaces, as if it were a cimeter, and feel its sweet edge dividing you through the heart and marrow, and so you will happily conclude your mortal career. Be it life or death, we crave only reality. 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