Thomas Carlyle and His Works facts for kids
"Thomas Carlyle and His Works" is an essay written by Henry David Thoreau. In this essay, Thoreau shares his admiration for the writings of Thomas Carlyle, a famous Scottish writer.
This essay shows some important ideas that appear in other works by Thoreau. One main idea is Thoreau's strong desire to find a hero or someone to look up to. Carlyle had written a book called On Heroes, Hero-Worship, & the Heroic in History, which Thoreau thought was his best work.
Contents
Why Thoreau Looked for Heroes
When Henry David Thoreau was a young man, he was still searching for people to admire and learn from. He wanted to find a hero to inspire him. However, he also believed that eventually, everyone needs to think for themselves and not just follow others.
Thinking for Yourself
Thoreau felt that a problem with some religions was that people would spend their lives celebrating or arguing about discoveries made by leaders like Christ or Buddha. But they would not try to make their own discoveries. Thoreau liked people who did not just accept old ideas. He admired those who wanted to break free from old traditions and think independently.
Carlyle's Unique Style
Thoreau used this same idea to praise Thomas Carlyle's unique writing style. Some people found Carlyle's way of writing a bit showy or unusual. But Thoreau loved it! He said Carlyle "does not go to the dictionary, the word-book, but to the word-manufactory itself." This means Carlyle created new words and phrases, making dictionary writers work hard to keep up. Thoreau saw Carlyle as a "Reformer" who greatly helped humanity with his writings.
The Importance of Action
Thomas Carlyle once wrote, "The end of man is an action and not a thought, though it be the noblest." Thoreau agreed with this idea. He summarized Carlyle's way of thinking by saying:
One thing is certain – that we had best be doing something in good earnest henceforth forever; that's an indispensable philosophy.
This means that it's super important to actually do things with effort and seriousness, rather than just thinking about them. Both Carlyle and Thoreau believed that taking action is a key part of life.
