We may brave human laws, but we cannot resist natural ones.

We may brave human laws, but we cannot resist natural ones.

Whenever man comes up with a better mousetrap, nature immediately comes up with a better mouse.

Whenever man comes up with a better mousetrap, nature immediately comes up with a better mouse.

What I see in Nature is a magnificent structure that we can comprehend only very imperfectly, and that must fill read more

What I see in Nature is a magnificent structure that we can comprehend only very imperfectly, and that must fill a thinking person with a feeling of humility. This is a genuinely religious feeling that has nothing to do with mysticism

That man's best works should be such bungling imitations of Nature's infinite perfection, matters not much; but that he should read more

That man's best works should be such bungling imitations of Nature's infinite perfection, matters not much; but that he should make himself an imitation, this is the fact which Nature moans over, and deprecates beseechingly. Be spontaneous, be truthful, be free, and thus be individuals! is the song she sings through warbling birds, and whispering pines, and roaring waves, and screeching winds.

See one promontory (said Socrates of old) one mountain, one sea,
one river, and see all.

See one promontory (said Socrates of old) one mountain, one sea,
one river, and see all.

Nature has no mercy at all. Nature says, "I'm going to snow. If you have on a bikini and no read more

Nature has no mercy at all. Nature says, "I'm going to snow. If you have on a bikini and no snowshoes, that's tough. I am going to snow anyway."

Because we don't think about future generations, they will never forget us.

Because we don't think about future generations, they will never forget us.

I frequently tramped eight or ten miles through the deepest snow to keep an appointment with a beech-tree, or a read more

I frequently tramped eight or ten miles through the deepest snow to keep an appointment with a beech-tree, or a yellow birch, or an old acquaintance among the pines.

The course of Nature seems a course of Death,
And nothingness the whole substantial thing.

The course of Nature seems a course of Death,
And nothingness the whole substantial thing.