Henry David Thoreau Quote - Liberty Quotes Blog

"A gun gives you the body, not the bird."

by:	Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) American author, poet, philosopher, polymath, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and transcendentalist
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Categories:	Arms, Economics, Humility, Perseverance, Power, Proverbs
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Reader comments about this quote:

Maybe it was the times ... or maybe it's just me, but I'm having a hard time understanding Monsieur Thoreau's thinking re: guns - bodies - and birds. -- Bobble, North Ferrisburgh, VT
WE MAY NOT HAVE PHILOSOPHERS LIKE 19TH AND 20TH CENT ONES. -- dr hamid ibrahim, KUALA LUMPUR
ahh yes, the tangible vs. the intangible; the physical vs. the spirit; somatic cooperation vs. intellect, etc. -- Mike, Norwalk 1
Very simply, applied to slavery vs freedom, physical vs spirit. Spoken by a abolitionist, naturalist and tax resister. -- Ronw13, Oregon
It means, don't count your chickens before they're hatched! ;-) But with no gun, for sure there will be no bird (metaphorically speaking...) -- E Archer, NYC