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Cape Cod

by Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

  • Free to read
  • 5 hours to read
  • 11 chapters
  • Reading level: 8th & 9th grade

"Cape Cod" by Henry David Thoreau is a detailed travelogue and nature reflection written in the mid-19th century. The book chronicles the author’s journeys through Cape Cod, exploring its landscapes, inhabitants, and the philosophical underpinnings of life on the coast. Thoreau, known for his deep appreciation of nature and individualism, captures the essence of the Cape's natural beauty and the lives of those who call it home. The opening of "Cape Cod" introduces Thoreau's desire to explore and understand the ocean and its surroundings more intimately, prompting his visits in various seasons. He recounts his experiences following the shipwreck of the brig "St. John" off the Cohasset shore, describing the somber aftermath as locals engage in grim recovery efforts, dealing with both the physical remains of the tragedy and their emotional impact. Thoreau reflects on life, death, and the sea's indifference, drawing philosophical conclusions from the environment he encounters, indicating a deeper exploration of existence and the human condition amidst the trials of nature.

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  • Cape Cod (Mass.) · Description and travel

Read the opening

Chapter I: The Shipwreck

Wishing to get a better view than I had yet had of the ocean, which, we are told, covers more than two-thirds of the globe, but of which a man who lives a few miles inland may never see any trace, more than of another world, I made a visit to Cape Cod in October, 1849, another the succeeding June, and another to Truro in July, 1855; the first and last time with a single companion, the second time alone. I have spent, in all, about three weeks on the Cape; walked from Eastham to Provincetown twice on the Atlantic side, and once on the Bay side also, excepting four or five miles, and crossed the Cape half a dozen times on my way; but having come so fresh to the sea, I have got but little salted. My readers must expect only so much saltness as the land breeze acquires from blowing over an arm of the sea, or is tasted on the windows and the bark of trees twenty miles inland, after September gales. I have been accustomed to make excursions to the ponds within ten miles of Concord, but latterly I have extended my excursions to the seashore.

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Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Chapter I: The Shipwreck
  3. Chapter II: Stage Coach Views
  4. Chapter III: The Plains of Nauset
  5. Chapter IV: The Beach
  6. Chapter V: The Wellfleet Oysterman
  7. Chapter VI: The Beach Again
  8. Chapter VII: Across the Cape
  9. Chapter VIII: The Highland Light
  10. Chapter IX: The Sea and the Desert
  11. Chapter X: Provincetown

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About this edition

This free edition of Cape Cod by Henry David Thoreau comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #34392, released 2010-11-21. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Travel Writing, American Literature, Environmental Issues, Philosophy & Ethics.

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