Reflective Journeys: Jacint Verdaguer and Henry David Thoreau on Society, Nature and Time

Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on Modern Approaches in Humanities and Social Sciences

Year: 2026

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Reflective Journeys: Jacint Verdaguer and Henry David Thoreau on Society, Nature and Time

Guillem Uceda i Oliver

ABSTRACT:

This paper examines how Jacint Verdaguer in Excursions i viatges and Henry David Thoreau in his excursion writings employ walking as a reflective practice to engage with the social, cultural and environmental realities of their time, generating insights that remain relevant today. In both authors, travel is not merely descriptive but functions as a structured experience through which they observe, interpret, and critique human activity, technological change and cultural
transformation in nineteenth century. Verdaguer’s prose combines historical and local references with rich landscape depiction, highlighting tensions between tradition and modernization in Catalonia, while Thoreau’s excursions link careful natural observation with reflections on society, progess and ethical responsibility. Drawing on contemporary literary theory, including Lawrence Buell’s ecocritical perspective on the relationship between literature and environment and Rebecca Solnit’s concept of walking as a form of reflective engagement with place, this study situates the authors’ practices within broader discussions on mobility, temporality and cultural memory. By comparing these approaches, the paper shows how walking enables a reflective lens in which past and present intersect, revealing enduring questions about human interaction with culture and nature. The study argues that Verdaguer and Thoreau develop literary strategies that anticipate contemporary debates on ecological awareness, cultural heritage and the ethical potential of walking as a way to truly engage with the world.

Keywords: Comparative Literature; Ecocriticism; Nineteenth Century Literature: Travel Writing; Walking