--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Cultivate poverty like a garden herb…" description: "\"Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_cultivate_cultivate-poverty-like-a-garden-herb-lik_2686563.jpg" --- # Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. ![“Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_cultivate_cultivate-poverty-like-a-garden-herb-lik_2686563.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_cultivate_cultivate-poverty-like-a-garden-herb-lik_2686563.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_cultivate_cultivate-poverty-like-a-garden-herb-lik_2686563.jpg) > “Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cultivating poverty like a herb means embracing simplicity and wisdom, allowing growth from modest means **In simple terms:** Live simply, grow wisely like a garden herb Key Takeaway Practice simplicity for deeper insight Themes simplicity wisdom self‑reliance Mood contemplative inspirational Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - minimalist living - budgeting - personal development Key Concepts transcendentalism environmentalism Questions to Reflect On - How can you apply simple living responsibly? - What does “poverty” mean beyond material lack? A Different Perspective May romanticize poverty without addressing systemic issues ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Garden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/garden/) [Gardening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gardening/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Sage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sage/) [Simple life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple-life/) [Simplicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplicity/) ## Related quotes > [Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Turn the old;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/cultivate-poverty-like-a-garden-herb-like-sage-do-not-trouble-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble yourself to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Things do not change,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/cultivate-poverty-like-a-garden-herb-like-sage-do-not-trouble/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The first cause worked automatically like a somnambulist, and not reflectively like a sage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/the-first-cause-worked-automatically-like-a-somnambulist-and-not/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“Question like a child, reason like an adult, and write like a sage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/question-like-a-child-reason-like-an-adult-and-write-like-a-sage/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Using money in one’s attempt to put an end to poverty is like using a border in one’s attempt to put an end to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/using-money-in-one-s-attempt-to-put-an-end-to-poverty-is-like-using-a/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [I've never been anywhere in my life like it and I only really noticed it when I returned to Los Angeles and then Berlin.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/i-ve-never-been-anywhere-in-my-life-like-it-and-i-only-really-noticed/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [I've got friends whose parents work three jobs. They don't know where their next meal is going to come from. When you've got a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-vanvleet/i-ve-got-friends-whose-parents-work-three-jobs-they-don-t-know-where/) [Fred VanVleet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-vanvleet/) > [No wealth like education and no poverty like ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/no-wealth-like-education-and-no-poverty-like-ignorance/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [poverty is like a pain, dormant and unbearable as long as you don't move about too much. You grow used to it, you end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-roy/poverty-is-like-a-pain-dormant-and-unbearable-as-long-as-you-don-t/) [Gabrielle Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-roy/) > [One day our grandchildren will go to museums to see what poverty was like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/one-day-our-grandchildren-will-go-to-museums-to-see-what-poverty-was/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [“Poverty is like a crumb that sits at a table, and starves itself to death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/poverty-is-like-a-crumb-that-sits-at-a-table-and-starves-itself-to/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [Poverty is like punishment for a crime you didn't commit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-khamarov/poverty-is-like-punishment-for-a-crime-you-didn-t-commit/) [Eli Khamarov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-khamarov/) > [I have never witnessed poverty like I did in Haiti. The kind that is so deep and wide-reaching that it feels impossible to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-collette/i-have-never-witnessed-poverty-like-i-did-in-haiti-the-kind-that-is/) [Toni Collette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-collette/) > [When poverty declines, the need for government declines, which is why expecting government to solve poverty is like expecting a tobacco company to mount…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-molyneux/when-poverty-declines-the-need-for-government-declines-which-is-why/) [Stefan Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-molyneux/) > [People who have escaped from poverty are like old soldiers. In later years they recount the little, amusing incidents that happened infrequently, and conveniently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsa-maxwell/people-who-have-escaped-from-poverty-are-like-old-soldiers-in-later/) [Elsa Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsa-maxwell/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Cultivate quotes > [“A ‘good’ father will tenderly cultivate his children. But a ‘good’ father who is also a ‘brave’ father will let the children without cultivate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/a-good-father-will-tenderly-cultivate-his-children-but-a-good-father/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [Talent comes from God. If you have been given some, then value it, cultivate it, work and develop it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/talent-comes-from-god-if-you-have-been-given-some-then-value-it/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [We do not have to be ashamed of what we are. As sentient beings we have wonderful backgrounds. These backgrounds may not be particularly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-do-not-have-to-be-ashamed-of-what-we-are-as-sentient-beings-we/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [I cultivate my garden, and my garden cultivates me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/i-cultivate-my-garden-and-my-garden-cultivates-me/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [“What you practice you will cultivate. Simply, if you practice being mean and nasty, you will get meaner and nastier; if you practice being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-smalley/what-you-practice-you-will-cultivate-simply-if-you-practice-being/) Susan Smalley > [Cultivate virtue in yourself, and it will be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/cultivate-virtue-in-yourself-and-it-will-be-true/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [Let every one of us cultivate, in every word that issues from our mouth, absolute truth. I say cultivate, because to very few people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/let-every-one-of-us-cultivate-in-every-word-that-issues-from-our/) [Dinah Maria Murlock Craik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/) > [What if I don’t like adventure? Then cultivate a taste for it. Take a chance. That’s how you grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/what-if-i-don-t-like-adventure-then-cultivate-a-taste-for-it-take-a/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [Individuals, too, who cultivate a variety of skills seem brighter, more energetic and more adaptable than those who know how to do one thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-shea/individuals-too-who-cultivate-a-variety-of-skills-seem-brighter-more/) [Robert Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-shea/) > [If you cultivate your body, your mind, your emotions, and your energies to a certain level of maturity, meditation will blossom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaggi-vasudev/if-you-cultivate-your-body-your-mind-your-emotions-and-your-energies/) [Jaggi Vasudev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaggi-vasudev/) > [Africa is a continent that provides so much for the existence of the rest of the world. We go around the world and cultivate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djimon-hounsou/africa-is-a-continent-that-provides-so-much-for-the-existence-of-the/) [Djimon Hounsou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djimon-hounsou/) > [People cultivate these fully formed personalities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-stewart/people-cultivate-these-fully-formed-personalities/) [Kristen Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-stewart/) > [Our tendency is to be interested in something that is growing in the garden, not in the bare soil itself. But if you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/our-tendency-is-to-be-interested-in-something-that-is-growing-in-the/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [Keep good company, read good books, love good things and cultivate soul and body as faithfully as you can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/keep-good-company-read-good-books-love-good-things-and-cultivate-soul/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Meditation isn't snake oil. For some people, meditation might be the most efficient way to reduce stress and cultivate mindfulness. But it isn't a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/meditation-isn-t-snake-oil-for-some-people-meditation-might-be-the/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) Browse all 255 Cultivate quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/cultivate-poverty-like-a-garden-herb-like-sage/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cultivate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/cultivate-poverty-like-a-garden-herb-like-sage/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_cultivate_cultivate-poverty-like-a-garden-herb-lik_2686563.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_cultivate_cultivate-poverty-like-a-garden-herb-lik_2686563.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/henry-david-thoreau-20_cultivate_cultivate-poverty-like-a-garden-herb-lik_2686563.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage.” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Cultivate poverty like a garden herb,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/cultivate-poverty-like-a-garden-herb-like-sage/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/cultivate-poverty-like-a-garden-herb-like-sage/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```