---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Vineyards and shining harvests, pastures…"
description: "\"Vineyards and shining harvests, pastures, arbors, And all this our very utmost toil Can hardly care for, we wear down our strength Whether in oxen or i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d45/lucretius-1632_arbors_vineyards-and-shining-harvests-pastures_1524982.png"
---

#  Vineyards and shining harvests, pastures, arbors, And all…

![“Vineyards and shining harvests, pastures, arbors, And all this our very utmost toil Can hardly care for, we wear down our strength Whether in oxen or in men, we dull The edges of our ploughshares, and in return Our fields turn mean and stingy, underfed, And so today the farmer shakes his head…” quote by Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d45/lucretius-1632_arbors_vineyards-and-shining-harvests-pastures_1524982.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d45/lucretius-1632_arbors_vineyards-and-shining-harvests-pastures_1524982.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d45/lucretius-1632_arbors_vineyards-and-shining-harvests-pastures_1524982.png)

> “Vineyards and shining harvests, pastures, arbors, And all this our very utmost toil Can hardly care for, we wear down our strength Whether in oxen or in men, we dull The edges of our ploughshares, and in return Our fields turn mean and stingy, underfed, And so today the farmer shakes his head, More and more often sighing that his work, The labour of his hands, has come to naught.”

[Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Hard work and neglect wear down both tools and people, leading to unproductive, barren outcomes.

**In simple terms:** Overwork leads to ruin.

Key Takeaway

Balance effort and rest.

Themes

labor nature exhaustion

Mood

melancholy thoughtful

Type

philosophical warning

When to use this quote

- farming
- workplace
- personal health

Key Concepts

sustainability human limits

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you recognize when to rest?
- What practices preserve your strength?

A Different Perspective

Ignoring limits leads to collapse.

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[Arbors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arbors/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Farmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farmers/) [Harvest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harvest/) [Labour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labour/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Shining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shining/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Toil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toil/) [Vineyards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vineyards/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

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[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

## More by Lucretius

> [The wailing of the newborn infant is mingled with the dirge for the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/the-wailing-of-the-newborn-infant-is-mingled-with-the-dirge-for-the/)

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[Explore all 221 Lucretius quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/)

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> [Right on to the New Period vineyard arbors were the centre and chief ornament of all gardens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-luise-gothein/right-on-to-the-new-period-vineyard-arbors-were-the-centre-and-chief/)

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