Secondary sourceBook1917
Thoreau: As Remembered by a Young Friend
Edward Waldo Emerson · 1917
A 1917 memoir by Edward Waldo Emerson recalling Thoreau as a friendly tutor and companion to the Emerson children.
A childhood friend's memoir recalling Thoreau as a warm presence, countering his reputation as a misanthrope.
About this source
What it is
This is a memoir written in 1917 by Edward Waldo Emerson, son of Ralph Waldo Emerson, recalling his childhood memories of Henry David Thoreau.
Why it matters
Edward Waldo Emerson knew Thoreau personally as a child, since Thoreau was a close friend of the Emerson family and spent time with the children. The memoir pushes back against the idea of Thoreau as unfriendly or distant, instead showing him as warm and playful with young people. It reveals how Thoreau was remembered by those who knew him directly, long after his death.
Look closer
- Why might a memoir written decades after someone's death still be useful evidence?
- How does this account differ from the popular image of Thoreau as a solitary hermit?
- What does the writer's own relationship to Thoreau tell you about his point of view?
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Henry David Thoreau on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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