--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It would be worth the while to select our…" description: "\"It would be worth the while to select our reading, for books are the society we keep; to read only the serenely true; never statistics, nor fiction, no..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4b/henry-david-thoreau-20_book_it-would-be-worth-the-while-to-select-ou_770918.jpg" --- # It would be worth the while to select our reading, for… ![“It would be worth the while to select our reading, for books are the society we keep; to read only the serenely true; never statistics, nor fiction, nor news, nor reports, nor periodicals, but only great poems, and when they failed, read them again, or perchance write more. Instead of other…” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4b/henry-david-thoreau-20_book_it-would-be-worth-the-while-to-select-ou_770918.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4b/henry-david-thoreau-20_book_it-would-be-worth-the-while-to-select-ou_770918.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4b/henry-david-thoreau-20_book_it-would-be-worth-the-while-to-select-ou_770918.jpg) > “It would be worth the while to select our reading, for books are the society we keep; to read only the serenely true; never statistics, nor fiction, nor news, nor reports, nor periodicals, but only great poems, and when they failed, read them again, or perchance write more. Instead of other sacrifice, we might offer up our perfect (teleia) thoughts to the gods daily, in hymns or psalms. For we should be at the helm at least once a day.” [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. Reading should be selective, focusing on profound poetry and contemplation, offering a daily spiritual practice. **In simple terms:** Read great poems daily for spiritual growth. Key Takeaway Prioritize deep, reflective reading. Themes literature spirituality reflection Mood contemplative reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal journaling - morning meditation - book clubs - creative writing Key Concepts philosophy poetry daily practice Questions to Reflect On - How can poetry shape your daily thoughts? - What rituals help you engage with literature? A Different Perspective Neglecting other genres limits perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Helm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helm/) [Hymns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hymns/) [Instead Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instead-sacrifice-5958539/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [News](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/news/) [Offers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offers/) [Perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Psalms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psalms/) [Read Serenely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-serenely-5958538/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Reports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reports/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Select](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/select/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Society Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society-read-1109624/) [Statistics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statistics/) [Teleia Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teleia-thoughts-5958540/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Nothing ensures the success of the child more in the society than being read to from infancy to young adulthood. 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