--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A book or poem which has no pity in it…" description: "\"A book or poem which has no pity in it had better not be written.\" — Oscar Wilde" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e38/oscar-wilde-16_book_a-book-or-poem-which-has-no-pity-in-it-h_3074323.jpg" --- # A book or poem which has no pity in it had better not be… ![“A book or poem which has no pity in it had better not be written.” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e38/oscar-wilde-16_book_a-book-or-poem-which-has-no-pity-in-it-h_3074323.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e38/oscar-wilde-16_book_a-book-or-poem-which-has-no-pity-in-it-h_3074323.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e38/oscar-wilde-16_book_a-book-or-poem-which-has-no-pity-in-it-h_3074323.jpg) > “A book or poem which has no pity in it had better not be written.” [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A work lacking compassion is morally questionable and should perhaps never exist. **In simple terms:** Unkind works are undesirable. Key Takeaway Avoid cruelty in creation. Themes ethics literature compassion Mood reflective serious Type critical philosophical When to use this quote - writing - teaching - publishing - editing Key Concepts moral responsibility artistic integrity Questions to Reflect On - What responsibility do creators have to empathy? - Can cruelty be justified for art? A Different Perspective Even compassionate works can still cause harm if misinterpreted. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Pity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pity/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [When I see a cow, it is not an animal to eat, it is a poem of pity for me and I worship it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/when-i-see-a-cow-it-is-not-an-animal-to-eat-it-is-a-poem-of-pity-for/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [self-pity is better than none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-diller/self-pity-is-better-than-none/) [Phyllis Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-diller/) > [Come, let us pity those who are better off than we are. 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For these there is hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/those-who-find-beautiful-meanings-in-beautiful-things-are-the/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Men always want to be a womans first love. Women have a more subtle instinct: What they like is to be a mans last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/men-always-want-to-be-a-womans-first-love-women-have-a-more-subtle/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Why is it that at a bachelor's establishment the servants invariably drink the champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/why-is-it-that-at-a-bachelor-s-establishment-the-servants-invariably/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Moderation is a fatal thing. Enough is as bad as a meal. 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