How They Succeeded - 20. JOHN BURROUGHS - Life Stories of Successful Men - Orison Swett Marden (1901)

How They Succeeded - 20. JOHN BURROUGHS - Life Stories of Successful Men - Orison Swett Marden (1901) - HQ Full Book.Chapter 20: John Burroughs — The Naturalist Poet Who Found Success in Simplicity In the final chapter of How They Succeeded, Orison Swett Marden turns his lens toward John Burroughs, the renowned American naturalist and essayist, whose gentle wisdom and love for nature shaped a generation's view of the natural world. Unlike the tycoons, inventors, or industrial magnates featured earlier in the book, Burroughs’ success came not through vast business empires or political power, but through a deep connection with the outdoors and an ability to articulate its beauty with sincerity and literary grace. This chapter serves as a meditative conclusion to the volume, offering readers an alternative vision of success grounded in authenticity, contemplation, and purpose.  Marden opens the chapter by painting a serene picture of Burroughs’ life at Riverby, his rustic farmhouse perched above the Hudson River in West Park, New York. Here, surrounded by the orchards he tended with his own hands and the woods he knew intimately, Burroughs lived a life harmonized with the rhythms of the earth. Marden’s personal interview with him forms the basis of the narrative, lending a warm, conversational tone to the chapter. The reader is invited not just to learn about Burroughs, but to walk with him among the trees, listen to the birds, and ponder the simple joys of a life well-lived.  Burroughs did not come into the world with fame or wealth. Born in 1837 in the Catskills to a poor farming family, he had to work hard from an early age. The boyhood scenes he describes to Marden are of bare feet on frosty mornings, long days of manual labor, and brief, precious moments of education. From these humble origins, Burroughs developed a quiet discipline and a reverence for learning. He read voraciously, drawing inspiration from great thinkers like Emerson and, most significantly, Walt Whitman, whose influence permeated Burroughs' own work and worldview.  The turning point in Burroughs' life came when he realized that his deepest joy lay in observing nature and putting those observations into words. He began to write essays while working various jobs, including as a teacher and government clerk in Washington, D.C. These early writings were not immediately successful, but he persisted. His determination echoes a central theme of Marden’s book: true success requires perseverance through obscurity and self-doubt.Burroughs’ literary breakthrough was slow but steady. His first significant work, Wake-Robin (1871), drew attention for its blend of naturalist detail and philosophical reflection. He didn't write for fame or wealth, but because he felt compelled to share his vision of the natural world. This purity of intent, Marden suggests, is precisely what made Burroughs' writing resonate so deeply with readers. He wrote about birds, trees, streams, and sky not as a scientist dispassionately cataloging facts, but as a poet in love with the ordinary marvels of life.  Marden highlights the philosophy of simplicity that underpins Burroughs' life. Unlike many of the other figures profiled in How They Succeeded, who achieved their goals through aggressive ambition or strategic positioning, Burroughs succeeded by aligning his work with his soul. He speaks to Marden of the dangers of chasing external validation, and of the peace that comes from following one’s natural inclinations. His success, he insists, is not measured in dollars but in days spent fruitfully—writing under the open sky, planting trees, watching the seasons pass.  A major theme of this chapter is harmony with oneself and the world. Burroughs’ writings encourage readers to slow down, to observe, to think, and to feel. His essays are not just descriptions of birds and meadows; they are meditations on the human condition, on contentment, on mortality, and on the quiet joys of rural life. Marden is clearly inspired by Burroughs’ ability to derive such profound meaning from what others might overlook as mundane. In this sense, Burroughs' success represents a rebuke to the industrial hustle of his era—and perhaps ours.  Marden is also keen to draw out the discipline behind Burroughs’ gentle demeanor. This was not a man who idled or waited for inspiration to strike. Burroughs wrote daily, walked miles through fields and forests, and worked his land with devotion. He kept notebooks, refined his thoughts, and lived frugally so he could remain independent. His life, Marden suggests, is a model of how inner clarity and outer simplicity can combine to produce a legacy that endures far beyond material accomplishments.  In his conversation with Marden, Burroughs stresses that youth should not be disheartened by slow beginnings. He believes that genuine interest, persistence, and sincerity are more valuable than cleverness or connections. This advice, modest as it sounds, forms a kind of quiet crescendo at the end of How They Succeeded. After hearing from the financiers, generals, and industrialists, the reader is offered Burroughs’ example: a man who found joy and success simply by being true to himself.  By the time Marden interviewed him, Burroughs had become widely respected—not only as a writer, but as a moral voice. His essays were read by thousands, his insights sought by presidents, and his home visited by fellow thinkers and naturalists. Yet he remained humble and rooted. He continued to garden, to observe, to write. His enduring legacy, Marden implies, is not merely literary, but spiritual—a testament to the richness of a life lived close to nature, with purpose and patience.  In closing the chapter—and the book—Marden seems to suggest that John Burroughs offers the most universal and sustainable model of success. His is a success that any person might strive toward, not by climbing corporate ladders or building fortunes, but by cultivating the garden of their own life, staying close to what they love, and contributing truthfully to the world. It is a message that transcends the century in which it was written and continues to resonate with anyone seeking a more meaningful, intentional life.    SuccessStories OrisonSwettMarden BiographicalAccounts InspirationalLiterature PersonalDevelopment AchievingGreatness MotivationalReads OvercomingAdversity Resilience PositiveMindset Triumph&Perseverance Self-HelpClassics LessonsfromSuccessfulMen UnyieldingDedication HistoricalFigures AmbitionandHardWork AmbitionandDetermination HumanPotential PathtoSuccess EmpoweringNarratives