--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The modern cheap and fertile press, with…" description: "\"“The modern cheap and fertile press, with all its translations, has done little to bring us nearer to the heroic writers of antiquity.”\" — Henry David ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/henry-david-thoreau-20_authenticity_the-modern-cheap-and-fertile-press-with_2503484.jpg" --- # The modern cheap and fertile press, with all its… ![“The modern cheap and fertile press, with all its translations, has done little to bring us nearer to the heroic writers of antiquity.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/henry-david-thoreau-20_authenticity_the-modern-cheap-and-fertile-press-with_2503484.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/henry-david-thoreau-20_authenticity_the-modern-cheap-and-fertile-press-with_2503484.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/henry-david-thoreau-20_authenticity_the-modern-cheap-and-fertile-press-with_2503484.jpg) > ““The modern cheap and fertile press, with all its translations, has done little to bring us nearer to the heroic writers of antiquity.”” [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. Modern media, despite its reach, fails to bring contemporary readers closer to ancient heroic writers. **In simple terms:** Modern media doesn’t connect us to ancient heroes. Key Takeaway Seek deeper literary sources beyond popular media. Themes literature media criticism historical continuity Mood reflective critical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - reading groups - academic courses - personal study - media analysis Key Concepts cultural literacy translation impact Questions to Reflect On - What methods help bridge modern media and classic literature? - How can we encourage deeper engagement with ancient texts? A Different Perspective Overreliance on media can dilute appreciation of classic works. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authenticity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authenticity/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Cheapness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheapness/) [Classics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classics/) [Fertile Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fertile-press-1084050/) [Heroic Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroic-writers-1084047/) [Mass culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass-culture/) [Mass media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass-media/) [Nearer Heroic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nearer-heroic-1084051/) [Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/press/) [Press Translations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/press-translations-1084049/) [Translations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/translations/) [Writers Antiquity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers-antiquity-1084048/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The heroic books, even if printed in the character of our mother tongue, will always be in a language dead to degenerate times; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-heroic-books-even-if-printed-in-the-character-of-our-mother/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Among the writers of antiquity there are none who instruct us more openly in the manners of their respective times in which they lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/among-the-writers-of-antiquity-there-are-none-who-instruct-us-more/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“Cheapness and ignorance are mutually reinforcing. And it's a short way from not knowing who's at the other end of your food chain to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/cheapness-and-ignorance-are-mutually-reinforcing-and-it-s-a-short-way/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“If a person lives frugally and acts in a cheap manner, isn't the person living a redundant life?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-harder/if-a-person-lives-frugally-and-acts-in-a-cheap-manner-isn-t-the/) [S.harder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-harder/) > [In 302, the Roman emperor Diocletian commanded "there should be cheapness," declaring, "Unprincipled greed appears wherever our armies ... march. ... Our law shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-e-williams/in-302-the-roman-emperor-diocletian-commanded-there-should-be/) [Walter E. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-e-williams/) > [Education is cheap; experience is expensive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/education-is-cheap-experience-is-expensive/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [The very cheapness of literature is making even wise people forget that if a book is worth reading, it is worth buying. No book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-very-cheapness-of-literature-is-making-even-wise-people-forget/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Cheapness is a great virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/cheapness-is-a-great-virtue/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“Isn't Glen an accountant? We're all frugal." These days, by necessity. "You might be frugal, but Glen is cheap. For Valentine's Day, he actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-bond/isn-t-glen-an-accountant-we-re-all-frugal-these-days-by-necessity-you/) [Stephanie Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-bond/) > [When something looks cheap, it looks cheap and that is all, and there is no justification for this cheapness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/when-something-looks-cheap-it-looks-cheap-and-that-is-all-and-there/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [The consumer wants food to be as cheap as possible. The producer wants it to be as expensive as possible. Both want it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-consumer-wants-food-to-be-as-cheap-as-possible-the-producer-wants/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Beautiful forms and compositions are not made by chance, nor can they ever, in any material, be made at small expense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-wedgwood/beautiful-forms-and-compositions-are-not-made-by-chance-nor-can-they/) [Josiah Wedgwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-wedgwood/) > [Wait! Don't applaud my cheapness! I've got other crap I need help with!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/wait-don-t-applaud-my-cheapness-i-ve-got-other-crap-i-need-help-with/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [Manufacturers...gradually shift their places, leaving those countries and provinces which they have already enriched, and flying to others, whether they are allured by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/manufacturers-gradually-shift-their-places-leaving-those-countries/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [Another success is the post-office, with its educating energy augmented by cheapness and guarded by a certain religious sentimentin mankind; so that the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/another-success-is-the-post-office-with-its-educating-energy/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## 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 Authenticity quotes > [“the property that grounded the self in Romanticism was sincerity, and in modernism was authenticity, then in postmod ernism it is visibility.10”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/the-property-that-grounded-the-self-in-romanticism-was-sincerity-and/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/every-genuine-expression-of-love-grows-out-of-a-consistent-and-total/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Real artists offer authenticity, not just money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhymefest/real-artists-offer-authenticity-not-just-money/) [Rhymefest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhymefest/) > [“I figure the more people think I'm just mildly weird, the less likely they are to know how weird I really am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-hooyenga/i-figure-the-more-people-think-i-m-just-mildly-weird-the-less-likely/) [Melanie Hooyenga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-hooyenga/) > [I think people can read authenticity and they know when you're involved and when you're just slapping your name on something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-la-anthony/i-think-people-can-read-authenticity-and-they-know-when-you-re/) [La La Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-la-anthony/) > [“I strive for authenticity even though it brings with it vulnerability and the inevitable judgment of others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-r-w-lee/i-strive-for-authenticity-even-though-it-brings-with-it-vulnerability/) [L.R.W. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-r-w-lee/) > [Children go where they find sincerity and authenticity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantona/children-go-where-they-find-sincerity-and-authenticity/) [Eric Cantona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantona/) > [Accepting the reality of our sinfulness means accepting our authentic self. Judas could not face his shadow; Peter could. The latter befriended the impostor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brennan-manning/accepting-the-reality-of-our-sinfulness-means-accepting-our-authentic/) [Brennan Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brennan-manning/) > [“Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, focus your energy on what you can create.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-bennett/instead-of-worrying-about-what-you-cannot-control-focus-your-energy/) [Roy Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-bennett/) > [Anything that I ever do is from the heart and authentic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belinda-carlisle/anything-that-i-ever-do-is-from-the-heart-and-authentic/) [Belinda Carlisle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belinda-carlisle/) > [What I love about Nivea is they're all about authenticity. The brand isn't pretending to be anything it isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-virtue/what-i-love-about-nivea-is-they-re-all-about-authenticity-the-brand/) [Tessa Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-virtue/) > [There is nothing which so certifies the genuineness of a man's faith as his patience and his patient endurance, his keeping on steadily in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-nothing-which-so-certifies-the-genuineness-of-a-man-s-faith/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you're really famous, there's very little authenticity in people, so you prefer the company of children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-ryan/when-you-re-really-famous-there-s-very-little-authenticity-in-people/) [Katherine Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-ryan/) > [“We could not be fulfilled if we weren't inauthentic some of the time—inauthentic, that is, in relation to such things as our passing desires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/we-could-not-be-fulfilled-if-we-weren-t-inauthentic-some-of-the-time/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [No man knows the genuineness of his convictions until he has sacrificed something for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/no-man-knows-the-genuineness-of-his-convictions-until-he-has/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) [Browse all 1,437 Authenticity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authenticity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The modern cheap and fertile press, with all its translations, has done little to bring us nearer to the heroic writers of antiquity.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-modern-cheap-and-fertile-press-with-all-its-translations-has-done/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Authenticity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-modern-cheap-and-fertile-press-with-all-its-translations-has-done/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/henry-david-thoreau-20_authenticity_the-modern-cheap-and-fertile-press-with_2503484.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/henry-david-thoreau-20_authenticity_the-modern-cheap-and-fertile-press-with_2503484.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/henry-david-thoreau-20_authenticity_the-modern-cheap-and-fertile-press-with_2503484.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The modern cheap and fertile press, with all its translations, has done little to bring us nearer to the…” — 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": "“The modern cheap and fertile press,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-modern-cheap-and-fertile-press-with-all-its-translations-has-done/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-modern-cheap-and-fertile-press-with-all-its-translations-has-done/#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 } } ] } ```