Time is but the stream I go fishing in.
Henry David Thoreau, Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For
Time is but the stream I go fishing in.
Henry David Thoreau, Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For
What it means
Thoreau treats time as a shallow stream: he drinks from it, sees its sandy bottom, and knows it slides away. What stays is deeper than the current. Use your hours without being ruled by them.
The source
"Time is but the stream I go fishing in." Henry David Thoreau said it in Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For. Written in English: Walden, 1854.
"Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in."Original English (Walden, 1854), Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For. Text read at gutenberg.org.
Who said it
Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862). Lived two years in a cabin he built at Walden Pond and wrote Walden about it. His essay Civil Disobedience argued for refusing to cooperate with injustice.
Questions
- What does "Time is but the stream I go fishing in." mean?
- Thoreau treats time as a shallow stream: he drinks from it, sees its sandy bottom, and knows it slides away. What stays is deeper than the current. Use your hours without being ruled by them.
- Who said "Time is but the stream I go fishing in."?
- Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862). Source: Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For.
- What is the original wording?
- Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in (Original English (Walden, 1854)). Written in English: Walden, 1854.
- Is "Time is but the stream I go fishing in." on a shirt?
- Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.
Cite this line
"Time is but the stream I go fishing in." (Henry David Thoreau, Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For, trans. Original English (Walden, 1854)). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/time-is-but-the-stream-i-go-fishing
Filed under Quotes about time.
Wear it your way
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More from Henry David Thoreau
- Simplify, simplify.Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For
- I went to the woods to live deliberately.Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For
- Step to the music you hear, however far away.Walden (1854), Conclusion
- Advance confidently in the direction of your dreams.Walden (1854), Conclusion
- You are rich in what you can afford to let alone.Walden (1854), Where I Lived, and What I Lived For
- The cost of a thing is the life you trade for it.Walden (1854), Economy