Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by John Burroughs

Quote by John Burroughs

Work

Fresh Fields

The title Fresh Fields suggests a narrative or poetic work centered on themes of exploration, renewal, or the transition from settled civilization to untamed wilderness. The phrasing carries pastoral connotations, suggesting settings where characters encounter natural landscapes unaltered by human development. Such a title might signal stories involving journeys into frontier territories, personal transformations, or the discovery of previously unknown territories. The simplicity of the title allows for multiple interpretative directions, whether the work explores literal geographical exploration or metaphorical passages into new phases of life or understanding. more

Author

John Burroughs
John Burroughs

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. more

You May Also Like

“The laws of Coexistence;-the adaptation of structure to function; and to a certain extent the elucidation of natural affinities may be legitimately founded upon the examination of fully developed species;-But to obtain an insight into the laws of development,-the signification or bedeutung, of the parts of an animal body demands a patient examination of the successive stages of their development, in every group of Animals.”

“The natural scientist is concerned with a particular kind of phenomena ... he has to confine himself to that which is reproducible ... I do not claim that the reproducible by itself is more important than the unique. But I do claim that the unique exceeds the treatment by scientific method. Indeed it is the aim of this method to find and test natural laws.”

“To give a causal explanation of an event means to deduce a statement which describes it, using as premises of the deduction one or more universal laws, together with certain singular statements, the initial conditions ... We have thus two different kinds of statement, both of which are necessary ingredients of a complete causal explanation.”

“Yet is it possible in terms of the motion of atoms to explain how men can invent an electric motor, or design and build a great cathedral? If such achievements represent anything more than the requirements of physical law, it means that science must investigate the additional controlling factors, whatever they may be, in order that the world of nature may be adequately understood.”