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The Winged Life: The Poetic Voice of Henry David Thoreau
A fascinating exploration of the life and thought of Henry David Thoreau, led by the author of the bestselling Iron John. Bly presents the most powerful, rich and revealing of Thoreau's writings and through them traces the growth of his "poetic voice" and inner spiritual awareness.
- GenresPoetry
Paperback
First published September 12, 1986
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About the author
Robert Bly
284 books414 followersRobert Bly was an American poet, author, activist and leader of the Mythopoetic Men's Movement.
Robert Bly was born in western Minnesota in 1926 to parents of Norwegian stock. He enlisted in the Navy in 1944 and spent two years there. After one year at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, he transferred to Harvard and thereby joined the famous group of writers who were undergraduates at that time, which included Donald Hall, Adrienne Rich, Kenneth Koch, John Ashbery, Harold Brodky, George Plimpton, and John Hawkes. He graduated in 1950 and spent the next few years in New York living, as they say, hand to mouth.
Beginning in 1954, he took two years at the University of Iowa at the Writers Workshop along with W. D. Snodgrass, Donald Justice, and others. In 1956 he received a Fulbright grant to travel to Norway and translate Norwegian poetry into English. While there he found not only his relatives but the work of a number of major poets whose force was not present in the United States, among them Pablo Neruda, Cesar Vallejo, Gunnar Ekelof, Georg Trakl and Harry Martinson. He determined then to start a literary magazine for poetry translation in the United States and so begin The Fifties and The Sixties and The Seventies, which introduced many of these poets to the writers of his generation, and published as well essays on American poets and insults to those deserving. During this time he lived on a farm in Minnesota with his wife and children.
In 1966 he co-founded American Writers Against the Vietnam War and led much of the opposition among writers to that war. When he won the National Book Award for The Light Around the Body, he contributed the prize money to the Resistance. During the 70s he published eleven books of poetry, essays, and translations, celebrating the power of myth, Indian ecstatic poetry, meditation, and storytelling. During the 80s he published Loving a Woman in Two Worlds, The Wingéd Life: Selected Poems and Prose of Thoreau,The Man in the Black Coat Turns, and A Little Book on the Human Shadow.
His work Iron John: A Book About Men is an international bestseller which has been translated into many languages. He frequently does workshops for men with James Hillman and others, and workshops for men and women with Marion Woodman. He and his wife Ruth, along with the storyteller Gioia Timpanelli, frequently conduct seminars on European fairy tales. In the early 90s, with James Hillman and Michael Meade, he edited The Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart, an anthology of poems from the men's work. Since then he has edited The Darkness Around Us Is Deep: Selected Poems of William Stafford, and The Soul Is Here for Its Own Joy, a collection of sacred poetry from many cultures.
Robert Bly was born in western Minnesota in 1926 to parents of Norwegian stock. He enlisted in the Navy in 1944 and spent two years there. After one year at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, he transferred to Harvard and thereby joined the famous group of writers who were undergraduates at that time, which included Donald Hall, Adrienne Rich, Kenneth Koch, John Ashbery, Harold Brodky, George Plimpton, and John Hawkes. He graduated in 1950 and spent the next few years in New York living, as they say, hand to mouth.
Beginning in 1954, he took two years at the University of Iowa at the Writers Workshop along with W. D. Snodgrass, Donald Justice, and others. In 1956 he received a Fulbright grant to travel to Norway and translate Norwegian poetry into English. While there he found not only his relatives but the work of a number of major poets whose force was not present in the United States, among them Pablo Neruda, Cesar Vallejo, Gunnar Ekelof, Georg Trakl and Harry Martinson. He determined then to start a literary magazine for poetry translation in the United States and so begin The Fifties and The Sixties and The Seventies, which introduced many of these poets to the writers of his generation, and published as well essays on American poets and insults to those deserving. During this time he lived on a farm in Minnesota with his wife and children.
In 1966 he co-founded American Writers Against the Vietnam War and led much of the opposition among writers to that war. When he won the National Book Award for The Light Around the Body, he contributed the prize money to the Resistance. During the 70s he published eleven books of poetry, essays, and translations, celebrating the power of myth, Indian ecstatic poetry, meditation, and storytelling. During the 80s he published Loving a Woman in Two Worlds, The Wingéd Life: Selected Poems and Prose of Thoreau,The Man in the Black Coat Turns, and A Little Book on the Human Shadow.
His work Iron John: A Book About Men is an international bestseller which has been translated into many languages. He frequently does workshops for men with James Hillman and others, and workshops for men and women with Marion Woodman. He and his wife Ruth, along with the storyteller Gioia Timpanelli, frequently conduct seminars on European fairy tales. In the early 90s, with James Hillman and Michael Meade, he edited The Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart, an anthology of poems from the men's work. Since then he has edited The Darkness Around Us Is Deep: Selected Poems of William Stafford, and The Soul Is Here for Its Own Joy, a collection of sacred poetry from many cultures.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 16, 2025
There are some things of which I cannot at once tell whether I have dreamed them or they are real; as if they were just, perchance, establishing, or else losing, a real basis in my world. This is especially the case in the early morning hours, when there is a gradual transition from dreams to waking thoughts, from illusions to actualities, as from darkness, or perchance moon and star light, to sunlight. Dreams are real, as is the light of the stars and moon, and theirs is said to be a dreamy light.
Journal, October 29, 1857
Journal, October 29, 1857
September 4, 2018
This book is best taken a little at a time, during a quiet time of day, perhaps just before or after going for a walk. Though it would not be hard to breeze through it rather quickly, the slowed pace will allow more time for the melody of words to ripen. There is a slight disjointed feel due to the patchwork effect of cutting from longer works. If one has the time and inclination, I recommend going directly to Thoreau's most well-known works themselves.
Comprised largely of out-of-context excerpts from the writing of Thoreau, organized and interspersed with ideas, commentary and opinions by Robert Bly, it is a pleasant casual dip into Thoreau's meanderings. It provides an accessible introduction to Thoreau's work including a very concise biography at book's end.
Comprised largely of out-of-context excerpts from the writing of Thoreau, organized and interspersed with ideas, commentary and opinions by Robert Bly, it is a pleasant casual dip into Thoreau's meanderings. It provides an accessible introduction to Thoreau's work including a very concise biography at book's end.
October 27, 2022
Full of excerpts from his journals and selections of his poetry, introduced and discussed by Bly, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
May 8, 2011
In this remarkable little book, Robert Bly has selected poems and passages from Thoreau's books and journals into chapters with themes such as "The Habit of Living Meanly," "Going the Long Way Around," "Seeing What is Before Us," and "In Wildness is the Preservation of the World." Bly's introductory essays in each chapter are thoroughly Thoreauvian: alarming, ecstatic, gorgeous. The wood engravings by Michael McCurdy are a perfect compliment. An ideal book for the practice of contemplative reading.
Want to read
April 15, 2008Found this on the shelf at the local used bookstore and couldn't resist it - Thoreau, edited and with commentaries by Robert Bly! and wonderful wood engraving illustrations by Michael McCurdy!
September 2, 2009
As i enjoyed nature this summer, this book was my companion. Thoreau's poems with Bly's arrangements led me into twilight to see the colors of the world.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews