"Cape Cod" by Henry David Thoreau Based on several trips to the Cape and originally published as a series of articles, Cape Cod is a remarkable work that depicts the natural beauty of Cape Cod and the nature that surrounds it. Thoreau, a consummate lover of the outdoors and nature, in fact, he was a naturalist for a living, is right at home in the Cape, and he details his excitement about the area with naturalist portraits of the indigenous species and animals.