1998 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
A Study of the Influences of Lyceum Activities on Henry Thoreau
| Project/Area Number |
09610486
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
英語・英米文学
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| Research Institution | KYUSHU UNIVERSITY |
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Principal Investigator |
ONO Kazuto Kyushu University, Institute of Languages and Cultures, Professor, 言語文化部, 教授 (80039768)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1997 – 1998
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| Keywords | Henry Thoreau / Lyceum / Lectures / Wilderness / John Muir |
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| Research Abstract |
In this research I made a survey of the Lyceum (the society for cultural enlightenment in the U.S.A.) activities in the earlier 19th century, and took up a theme of the relation between Henry Thoreau's lectures and his literary works especially the process of his making Walden and the later works. One of the result is my study of Thoreau's essay "Walking" , where I examined the relation between his lecture manuscript and the actual essay, and the effect of his poem recited by himself during his lecture in Concord (Thoreau's home town) Lyceum. The result was reported as my academic papers both in English and Japanese.
Also I surveyed some influences of the general thoughts of natural science including the view of natural environment at that time upon Thoreau, his own experiences of wilderness expedition, and the characteristics of his view of nature. This survey was focused on Thoreau's travel essay The Maine Woods, where I examined his memo made during his expedition of the primeval for
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est areas of Maine, his lecture manuscript based upon the memo, and the completed essay. I traced the process, marking how the theme of primeval nature was taken up and developed there. This study was collected into my academic essay for a magazine of Thoreau study in Japan.
Moreover, I remarked Thoreau's interest in astronomy and looked over the relation between his knowledge of astronomy and his view of nature and life, mainly referring to his essay of nature writing " Moon" (a selection from his Journal). As the main part of this essay was based on his lecture "Night and Moonlight" , I also examined the effect of his lecture activity upon the essay. Still I have a plan of continuing the study of the relation between Thoreau's view of nature and his lecture activities in his other later works.
Besides, I attempted a study of John Muir who has a dose relation with Thoreau in the theme of nature writing. Especially I examined his nature description of Yosemite Mountain Area and his view of the primeval nature there, comparing these with Thoreau's. Less
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