Poets | Members | Poem of the Day | Top 40 | Search | Comments | Privacy
November 22nd, 2009 - we have 234 poets, 8,023 poems and 17,904 comments.
Henry David Thoreau - Conscience

Conscience is instinct bred in the house, 
Feeling and Thinking propagate the sin 
By an unnatural breeding in and in. 
I say, Turn it out doors, 
Into the moors. 
I love a life whose plot is simple, 
And does not thicken with every pimple, 
A soul so sound no sickly conscience binds it, 
That makes the universe no worse than 't finds it. 
I love an earnest soul, 
Whose mighty joy and sorrow 
Are not drowned in a bowl, 
And brought to life to-morrow; 
That lives one tragedy, 
And not seventy; 
A conscience worth keeping; 
Laughing not weeping; 
A conscience wise and steady, 
And forever ready; 
Not changing with events, 
Dealing in compliments; 
A conscience exercised about 
Large things, where one may doubt. 
I love a soul not all of wood, 
Predestinated to be good, 
But true to the backbone 
Unto itself alone, 
And false to none; 
Born to its own affairs, 
Its own joys and own cares; 
By whom the work which God begun 
Is finished, and not undone; 
Taken up where he left off, 
Whether to worship or to scoff; 
If not good, why then evil, 
If not good god, good devil. 
Goodness! you hypocrite, come out of that, 
Live your life, do your work, then take your hat.
I have no patience towards
Such conscientious cowards.
Give me simple laboring folk,
Who love their work,
Whose virtue is song
To cheer God along.

Added: on December 25th, 2004 at 9:08 PM | Viewed: 13387 times | Comments and analysis of Conscience by Henry David Thoreau Comments (2)


Conscience - Comments and Information

Poet: Henry David Thoreau (Henry David Thoreau Art)
Poem: Conscience

Comment 2 of 2, added on January 8th, 2009 at 12:48 PM.

May I ask, who are we to decide what's right and what's wrong, and for what reasons? We are not God and therefore have no right to judge others or ourselves. He in the end is the one to judge us, and decide our fate. So therefore I say live with no regrets, everything happens for a reason, so don't let mistakes hold you back because of your conscience. If you sit there wallowing in your conscience for things you've done or things that have been done,than how will you ever fix anything, or live?

Destiny from United States
Comment 1 of 2, added on December 25th, 2004 at 9:08 PM.

Description of conscience:
Conscience is inherent in man, having been made part of him by God. It is an inward realization or sense of right and wrong that excuses or accuses one. Hence, conscience judges. It also can be trained by the thoughts and acts, convictions and rules that are implanted in a person’s mind by study and experience. Based on these things, it makes a comparison with the course of action being taken or contemplated. Then it sounds a warning when the rules and the course conflict, unless the conscience is “seared,” made unfeeling by continued violations of its warnings. Conscience can be a moral safety device, in that it imparts pleasure and inflicts pain for one’s own good and bad conduct.
Thoreau touches on the true meaning of conscience.

Joseph from Australia

Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, Conscience, has received 2 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by Henry David Thoreau with others on the American Poems poetry forum!

Poem Info

Thoreau Info
Copyright © 2000-2009 Gunnar Bengtsson. All Rights Reserved. Links | Bookstore