“That such things are”: The Non-Teleological Poetics of Thoreau’s Journal

Abstract

Abstract:In his last decade Henry David Thoreau devoted himself to the writing of his Journal, a project that entailed not just the composition of thousands of pages but also a rigorous practice of close daily observation of nature. This essay tries to explain the logic behind Thoreau’s surprising turn away from published writing, as well as to explore the text that resulted from it. It finds in the Journal a unique combination of poetic, philosophical, scientific, and spiritual impulses and practices, rather than the dedication to scientific aims which recent scholars claim characterized Thoreau’s late career. Instead of pursuing private goals or making public contributions to a particular field or discipline, Thoreau in the Journal immerses himself in purposes other than his own, namely, the myriad purposes of animals, plants, and natural phenomena. The result is a sui generis text without a plan, a narrative, or even a narrator.