Transcendentalism became Thoreau’s intellectual training ground. His first
appearance in print was a poem entitled “Sympathy” published in the first
issue of The Dial, a Transcendentalist paper. As Transcendentalists
migrated to Concord, one by one, Thoreau was exposed to all facets of the
movement and took his place in its inner circle. At Emerson’s suggestion,
he kept a daily journal, from which most of Walden was eventually
culled.
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But Thoreau still longed for a life both concrete and spiritual. He wanted
to translate his thoughts into action. While Transcendentalists praised
nature, Thoreau walked through it.