--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What would we not give for some great…" description: "\"What would we not give for some great poem to read now, which would be in harmony with the scenery,--for if men read aright, methinks they would never ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/henry-david-thoreau-20_giving_what-would-we-not-give-for-some-great-po_1132929.jpg" --- # What would we not give for some great poem to read now… ![“What would we not give for some great poem to read now, which would be in harmony with the scenery,--for if men read aright, methinks they would never read anything but poems. No history nor philosophy can supply their place.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/henry-david-thoreau-20_giving_what-would-we-not-give-for-some-great-po_1132929.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/henry-david-thoreau-20_giving_what-would-we-not-give-for-some-great-po_1132929.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57c/henry-david-thoreau-20_giving_what-would-we-not-give-for-some-great-po_1132929.jpg) > “What would we not give for some great poem to read now, which would be in harmony with the scenery,--for if men read aright, methinks they would never read anything but poems. No history nor philosophy can supply their place.” [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. Thoreau suggests that true reading should be poetic and harmonious with nature, surpassing history or philosophy. **In simple terms:** Reading should be poetic and natural. Key Takeaway Seek poetry in everyday life. Themes nature reading philosophy history art Mood reflective contemplative Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - hiking - camping - studying literature - teaching - writing Key Concepts transcendentalism aesthetic experience literary criticism Questions to Reflect On - What does reading poetry add to your daily experience? - How can you find poetic moments in routine tasks? A Different Perspective Poetry may not satisfy practical informational needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Harmony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harmony/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Scenery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scenery/) ## Related quotes > [The great poem must have the stamp of greatness as well as its essence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-great-poem-must-have-the-stamp-of-greatness-as-well-as-its-essence/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [To the sick the doctors wisely recommend a change of air and scenery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/to-the-sick-the-doctors-wisely-recommend-a-change-of-air-and-scenery/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In the wildest nature, there is not only the material of the most cultivated life, and a sort of anticipation of the last result,but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-the-wildest-nature-there-is-not-only-the-material-of-the-most/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The most stupendous scenery ceases to be sublime when it becomes distinct, or in other words limited, and the imagination is no longer encouraged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-most-stupendous-scenery-ceases-to-be-sublime-when-it-becomes/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The scenery, when it is truly seen, reacts on the life of the seer. How to live. How to get the most of life……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-scenery-when-it-is-truly-seen-reacts-on-the-life-of-the-seer-how/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [If I wished to see a mountain or other scenery under the most favorable auspices, I would go to it in foul weather, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-i-wished-to-see-a-mountain-or-other-scenery-under-the-most/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I like sometimes to take rank hold on life and spend my day more as the animals do. Perhaps I have owed to this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-like-sometimes-to-take-rank-hold-on-life-and-spend-my-day-more-as/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Nature is not made after such a fashion as we would have her. We piously exaggerate her wonders, as the scenery around our home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/nature-is-not-made-after-such-a-fashion-as-we-would-have-her-we/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Why should not our whole life and its scenery be actually thus fair and distinct? All our lives want a suitable background. They should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/why-should-not-our-whole-life-and-its-scenery-be-actually-thus-fair/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [We boast of our system of education, but why stop at schoolmasters and schoolhouses? We are all schoolmasters, and our schoolhouse is the universe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-boast-of-our-system-of-education-but-why-stop-at-schoolmasters-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The scenery when it is truly seen reacts on the life of the seer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-scenery-when-it-is-truly-seen-reacts-on-the-life-of-the-seer/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I like to go back and read poems that I wrote fifty years ago, twenty years ago, and sometimes they surprise me - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-like-to-go-back-and-read-poems-that-i-wrote-fifty-years-ago-twenty/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Each word bears its weight, so you have to read my poems quite slowly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-stevenson/each-word-bears-its-weight-so-you-have-to-read-my-poems-quite-slowly/) [Anne Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-stevenson/) > [“I wonder if you ever read my poems and wish they were written for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/i-wonder-if-you-ever-read-my-poems-and-wish-they-were-written-for-you/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [I have no precise idea of who makes up my readership. I'm surprised when I discover people have read my poems at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-marvin/i-have-no-precise-idea-of-who-makes-up-my-readership-i-m-surprised/) [Cate Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-marvin/) ## 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 Giving quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [Some people give you that motivation to work harder simply to get the hell away from wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/some-people-give-you-that-motivation-to-work-harder-simply-to-get-the/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [You've touched people and known it. You've touched people and never may know it. Either way, you have something to give. It is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/you-ve-touched-people-and-known-it-you-ve-touched-people-and-never/) [Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [Grandma, please. It’s okay. Dad’s doing a great job. I give him kudos for at least being calm and rational, and not losing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/grandma-please-it-s-okay-dad-s-doing-a-great-job-i-give-him-kudos-for/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [Give me strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-elk/give-me-strength-to-walk-the-soft-earth-a-relative-to-all-that-is/) [Black Elk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-elk/) > [I don't think my relationship with the idea of womanhood is that attached to giving birth... like, I'm fully aware that I'll never give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-harrison/i-don-t-think-my-relationship-with-the-idea-of-womanhood-is-that/) [Patti Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-harrison/) [Browse all 39,303 Giving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What would we not give for some great poem to read now, which would be in harmony with the scenery,--for if men read aright, methinks they would never read anything but poems. 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