Henry David Thoreau Quotations: Heroes & The Heroic
The hero is commonly the simplest and obscurest of men.—"Walking"
The hero obeys his own law, the Christian his, the lover and friend theirs; they are to some extent different codes.—Journal, 1 February 1852
The heroic books, even if printed in the character of our mother tongue, will always be in a language dead to degenerate times; and we must laboriously seek the meaning of each word and line, conjecturing a larger sense than common use permits out of what wisdom and valor and generosity we have.—Walden
What is heroism? That which we are not.—"Sir Walter Raleigh"
What poem is this of spring, so often repeated! I am thrilled when I hear it spoken of,—as the spring of such a year, that fytte of the glorious epic.—Journal, 18 February 1857
When a noble deed is done, who is likely to appreciate it? They who are noble themselves.—"A Plea for Captain John Brown"
