e publications are remembered, such as, "Sic Vita," "Smoke,""Inspiration," and "Bluebirds." His love of nature was expressed in his essays such as,"The Natural History of Massachusetts," and "A Winter Walk." While this was a positivetime in Thoreau's life the next year held some hardships. The school shut down due to hisbrother's illness, and Thoreau moved in with William Emerson as his handy-man in orderto make money. He still continued to publish his poetry and essays in the Dial. The twotranscendental friends, R. W. Emerson and Thoreau began to differ in their philosophies.Thoreau was becoming a strong believer that the material world existed where Emersonbelieved more in the existence of the human soul (Schneider 4,6-8).Thoreau is known to have fallen in love with Ellen Sewall, who was also the interest of hisbrother, John. However, she turned them both down in marriage. It is believed that Henrynever had another love interest. Horace Hosmer says, "he did not have the 'love -idea' inhim: i.e. he did not appear to feel the sex-attraction" (9). He is portrayed as a gay man andsome of his works are contained in gay books. Walter Harding says, "there is evidence ofa strong homoerotic element in Thoreau's personality-although I should add that to thebest of my knowledge no factual evidence of homosexuality on Thoreaus's part has beenuncovered" (9). There is no proof that Thoreau was a homosexual, but it would makesense to realize his disinterest in sex was due to his search of moral purity. Thoreau was aman who found no love in society, therefore he turned to nature (9).In 1842, John Thoreau died of lockjaw. This severe stress caused Henry to suffer frompsychosomatic symptoms of tetanus. Soon after John's death, William Emerson's son,Waldo, died. The tragic stress of these two incidents in such a short matter of time was avery rough period for Thoreau. In 1844, Thoreau worked in his father's pencil factoryagain. During this time his love...
