Does Thoreau belong to the past or to the future? Instead of canonizing him as a celebrant of “pure” nature apart from the corruption of civilization, the essays in Thoreauvian Modernities reveal edgier facets of his work—how Thoreau is able to unsettle as well as inspire and how he is able to focus on both the timeless and the timely. Contributors from the United States and Europe explore Thoreau’s modernity and give a much-needed reassessment of his work in a global context....

JE reposais, de pavots enivré.De l’Aube à mes yeux renaissante,La clarté vive et jaillissanteResplendissait sous un Ciel azuré ;Quand sur un trône d’or soudain je vis paraîtreUn Roi chéri du Peuple, et craint des Courtisans,Et qui semblait cacher, en Roi digne de l’être,La raison d’un vieillard, sous un front de vingt ans,Et le cœur d’un ami, sous l’appareil d’un maître.La Vertu, la Prudence, idoles de son cœur,