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John Burroughs

John Burroughs Quotes

Essayist

John Burroughs (April 3, 1837 – March 29, 1921) was an American essayist and naturalist, widely regarded as the father of American nature writing. Born in Roxbury, New York, he worked as a teacher and journalist before dedicating himself to observing and writing about nature. His works, such as Wake-Robin and Winter Sunshine, are celebrated for their vivid descriptions and philosophical depth. A close friend of poet Walt Whitman, Burroughs emphasized the spiritual connection between humans and the natural world. His writings influenced early conservation movements and continue to inspire readers today.

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Famous John Burroughs Quotes

“The poor old earth which has mothered us and nursed us we treat with scant respect. Our awe and veneration we reserve for the worlds we know not of. Our senses sell us out. The mud on our shoes disenchants us.”

Knows World Earth Poor Treats Sells Environmental Shoes Senses Awe Reserves Mud Stewardship Veneration

Book:The writings of John Burroughs

Source: The writings of John Burroughs

“Every walk to the woods is a religious rite, every bath in the stream is a saving ordinance. Communion service is at all hours, and the bread and wine are from the heart and marrow of Mother Earth. There are no heretics in Nature's church; all are believers, all are communicants. The beauty of natural religion is that you have it all the time; you do not have to seek it afar off in myths and legends, in catacombs, in garbled texts, in miracles of dead saints or wine-bibbing friars. It is of today; it is now and here; it is everywhere.”

Source: Two modern essays on religion: A free man's worship

“There is hardly a man on earth who will take advice unless he is certain that it is positively bad.”

Men Earth Certain Advice Positively

Author:John Burroughs

“Every walk to the woods is a religious rite, every bath in the stream is a saving ordinance. Communion service is at all hours, and the bread and wine are from the heart and marrow of Mother Earth.”

Source: The Art of Seeing Things: Essays

“The fuel in the earth will be exhausted in a thousand or more years, and its mineral wealth, but man will find substitutes for these in the winds, the waves, the sun's heat, and so forth.”

Men Years Earth Wealth Sun Wind Thousand Wave Heat Fuel Substitutes Exhausted Minerals

Book:Under the Apple-Trees

Source: Under the Apple-Trees

“Nature exists for man no more than she does for monkeys, and is as regardless of his life or pleasure or success as she is of the fleas. Her waves will drown him, her fire burn him, and her earth devour him, her storms and lightning smite him, as if he were only a dog.”

Ifs Men Doe Earth Nature Pleasure Fire Dog Wave Storm Lightning Monkeys Fleas Him And Her

Author:John Burroughs

“Every day is a Sabbath to me. All pure water is holy water, and this earth is a celestial abode.”

Earth Water Holy Pure Celestial Sabbath Abode Holy Water Pure Water

Book:The writings of John Burroughs

Source: The writings of John Burroughs

“To see Earth fully we already need to love it”

Author:John Burroughs

“When nature made the blue-bird she wished to propitiate both the sky and the earth, so she gave him the color of the one on his back and the hue of the other on his breast.”

Made Earth Sky Color Bird Blue Breasts Hue Bluebird

Book:The Art of Seeing Things: Essays

Source: The Art of Seeing Things: Essays

“The Universe is a pretty big place... And the one thing I know about nature is it hates to waste anything. So I guess I'd say if it is just us, an awful lot of space is going to waste. The earth is not alone, it is not like a single apple on a tree; there are many apples on the tree, and there are many trees in the orchard.”

Ifs Knows Bigs Earth Hate Universe Space One Thing Tree Walking Moon Waste Awful Apples Not Alone Star Gazing Orchard

Author:John Burroughs

About the Author

Born: April 3, 1837
Died: March 29, 1921
Known for: Essayist
Quotes: 181

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Books & Sources

The Art of Seeing Things: EssaysRelated source material

John Burroughs' America: Selections from the Writings of the NaturalistRelated source material

The writings of John BurroughsRelated source material

In the Catskills Selections from the Writings of John BurroughsRelated source material

Accepting the universeRelated source material

Winter SunshineRelated source material

Complete writings of John BurroughsRelated source material

Literary Values and Other PapersRelated source material

Locusts and Wild HoneyRelated source material

The Writings of John Burroughs. [Related source material

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