--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The poet discovers that what men value as…" description: "\"“The poet discovers that what men value as substances have a higher value as symbols; that Nature is the immense shadow of man. A man's action is only ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1c/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_good-poetry_the-poet-discovers-that-what-men-value-a_1378907.png" --- # The poet discovers that what men value as substances have… ![“The poet discovers that what men value as substances have a higher value as symbols; that Nature is the immense shadow of man. A man's action is only a picture-book of his creed. He does after what he believes. Your condition, your employment, is the fable of you. The world is thoroughly…” quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1c/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_good-poetry_the-poet-discovers-that-what-men-value-a_1378907.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1c/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_good-poetry_the-poet-discovers-that-what-men-value-a_1378907.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1c/ralph-waldo-emerson-6_good-poetry_the-poet-discovers-that-what-men-value-a_1378907.png) > ““The poet discovers that what men value as substances have a higher value as symbols; that Nature is the immense shadow of man. A man's action is only a picture-book of his creed. He does after what he believes. Your condition, your employment, is the fable of you. The world is thoroughly anthropomorphized, as if it had passed through the body and mind of man, and taken his mould and form. Indeed, good poetry is always personification, and heightens every species of force in nature by giving it a human volition. We are advertised that there is nothing to which man is not related; that everything is convertible into every other. The staff in his hand is the radius vector of the sun. The chemistry of this is the chemistry of that. Whatever one act we do, whatever one thing we learn, we are doing and learning all things,—marching in the direction of universal power. Every healthy mind is a true Alexander or Sesostris, building a universal monarchy.”” [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that humans project their own values onto nature, turning natural forces into symbolic representations of human will and belief. **In simple terms:** People see nature as a reflection of themselves. Key Takeaway Recognize how personal beliefs shape perception of the world. Themes anthropomorphism symbolism human agency creativity Mood contemplative introspective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - art criticism - philosophical writing - personal reflection - educational lectures Key Concepts personification universalism metaphor Questions to Reflect On - How does your worldview affect how you interpret natural events? - In what ways can recognizing this bias improve critical thinking? A Different Perspective May overlook objective scientific facts by over‑humanizing nature. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body And Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body-and-mind/) [Good poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-poetry/) [Healthy mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healthy-mind/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) ## Related quotes > [“The poet is just like the fabled hunter who naps beside a tree, waiting for hares to break their skulls by running headlong into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gu-cheng/the-poet-is-just-like-the-fabled-hunter-who-naps-beside-a-tree/) Gu Cheng > [Do not fear to put novels into the hands of young people as an occasional holiday experiment, but above all, good poetry in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/do-not-fear-to-put-novels-into-the-hands-of-young-people-as-an/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Good poetry could not have been otherwise written than it is. The first time you hear it, it sounds rather as if copied out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/good-poetry-could-not-have-been-otherwise-written-than-it-is-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [To the body and mind which have been cramped by noxious work or company, nature is medicinal and restores their tone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/to-the-body-and-mind-which-have-been-cramped-by-noxious-work-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [To the body and mind which have been cramped by noxious work or company, nature is medicinal and restores their tone. The tradesman, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/to-the-body-and-mind-which-have-been-cramped-by-noxious-work-or-2/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Deep feeling doesn't make for good poetry. A way with language would be a bit of help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-gunn/deep-feeling-doesn-t-make-for-good-poetry-a-way-with-language-would/) [Thom Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-gunn/) > [Re: Robert Montgomery's Poems His writing bears the same relation to poetry which a Turkey carpet bears to a picture. There are colours in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/re-robert-montgomery-s-poems-his-writing-bears-the-same-relation-to/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [“Good poetry makes the universe reveal a secret.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hafiz/good-poetry-makes-the-universe-reveal-a-secret/) [Hafiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hafiz/) > [In his youth, Wordsworth sympathized with the French Revolution, went to France, wrote good poetry and had a natural daughter. At this period, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/in-his-youth-wordsworth-sympathized-with-the-french-revolution-went/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [It's always good to show that poetry isn't the little depressed lyric people believe it to be, that it's something bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fuller/it-s-always-good-to-show-that-poetry-isn-t-the-little-depressed-lyric/) [John Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fuller/) > [It's as serious as anyone ever gets, you know. It's just words. It's just good poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/it-s-as-serious-as-anyone-ever-gets-you-know-it-s-just-words-it-s/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [To me Art (poetry) is a continuous and continuing process and that when a man fails to write good poetry he fails to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/to-me-art-poetry-is-a-continuous-and-continuing-process-and-that-when/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [My idea of good poetry is any dog doing anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-boone/my-idea-of-good-poetry-is-any-dog-doing-anything/) [J. Boone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-boone/) > [“Good poetry isn't born, When everything makes sense. Good poetry is born, When nothing makes sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/good-poetry-isn-t-born-when-everything-makes-sense-good-poetry-is/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [The gap between verse and poetry is enormous. Between good poetry and good prose the gap is much narrower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-longley/the-gap-between-verse-and-poetry-is-enormous-between-good-poetry-and/) [Michael Longley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-longley/) ## More by Ralph Waldo Emerson > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If we will not interfere with our thought, but will act entirely, or see how the thing stands in God, we know the particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-we-will-not-interfere-with-our-thought-but-will-act-entirely-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. With his will or against his will he draws his portrait to the eye of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-man-cannot-speak-but-he-judges-himself-with-his-will-or-against-his/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Consideration is the soil in which wisdom may be expected to grow, and strength be given to every up-springing plant of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/consideration-is-the-soil-in-which-wisdom-may-be-expected-to-grow-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“There is then creative reading as well as creative writing. When the mind is braced by labor and invention, the page of whatever book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/there-is-then-creative-reading-as-well-as-creative-writing-when-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The order of things consents to virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-order-of-things-consents-to-virtue/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Life only avails, not the having lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/life-only-avails-not-the-having-lived/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [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/) > [A child reminds us that playtime is an essential part of our daily routine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/a-child-reminds-us-that-playtime-is-an-essential-part-of-our-daily/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [No man can be criticised but by a greater than he. Do not, then, read the reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/no-man-can-be-criticised-but-by-a-greater-than-he-do-not-then-read/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Coal lay in ledges under the ground since the Flood, until a laborer with pick and windlass brings it to the surface. We may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/coal-lay-in-ledges-under-the-ground-since-the-flood-until-a-laborer/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I am; therefore, I had nothing better to do than to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/i-am-therefore-i-had-nothing-better-to-do-than-to-think/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [In a library we are surrounded by many hundreds of dear friends, but they are imprisoned by an enchanter in these paper and leathern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/in-a-library-we-are-surrounded-by-many-hundreds-of-dear-friends-but/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Explore all 4,802 Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More Good poetry quotes > [Re: Robert Montgomery's Poems His writing bears the same relation to poetry which a Turkey carpet bears to a picture. There are colours in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/re-robert-montgomery-s-poems-his-writing-bears-the-same-relation-to/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [“Good poetry makes the universe reveal a secret.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hafiz/good-poetry-makes-the-universe-reveal-a-secret/) [Hafiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hafiz/) > [My idea of good poetry is any dog doing anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-boone/my-idea-of-good-poetry-is-any-dog-doing-anything/) [J. Boone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-boone/) > [Good poetry could not have been otherwise written than it is. The first time you hear it, it sounds rather as if copied out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/good-poetry-could-not-have-been-otherwise-written-than-it-is-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Deep feeling doesn't make for good poetry. A way with language would be a bit of help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-gunn/deep-feeling-doesn-t-make-for-good-poetry-a-way-with-language-would/) [Thom Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-gunn/) > [“Good poetry isn't born, When everything makes sense. Good poetry is born, When nothing makes sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/good-poetry-isn-t-born-when-everything-makes-sense-good-poetry-is/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [The gap between verse and poetry is enormous. Between good poetry and good prose the gap is much narrower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-longley/the-gap-between-verse-and-poetry-is-enormous-between-good-poetry-and/) [Michael Longley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-longley/) > [To me Art (poetry) is a continuous and continuing process and that when a man fails to write good poetry he fails to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/to-me-art-poetry-is-a-continuous-and-continuing-process-and-that-when/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [It's as serious as anyone ever gets, you know. It's just words. It's just good poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/it-s-as-serious-as-anyone-ever-gets-you-know-it-s-just-words-it-s/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [It's always good to show that poetry isn't the little depressed lyric people believe it to be, that it's something bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fuller/it-s-always-good-to-show-that-poetry-isn-t-the-little-depressed-lyric/) [John Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fuller/) > [In his youth, Wordsworth sympathized with the French Revolution, went to France, wrote good poetry and had a natural daughter. At this period, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/in-his-youth-wordsworth-sympathized-with-the-french-revolution-went/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I think it was T.S. Eliot who talked about good poetry being felt before it’s understood. I believe that. There are some bands where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-mumford/i-think-it-was-t-s-eliot-who-talked-about-good-poetry-being-felt/) [Marcus Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-mumford/) > [It is fatal to decide, intellectually, what good poetry is because you are then in honour bound to try to write it, instead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-larkin/it-is-fatal-to-decide-intellectually-what-good-poetry-is-because-you/) [Philip Larkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-larkin/) > [ Poets are political, they have to be reflections of their times \[because\] they're living in their times... Poetry is political in that it's standing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/poets-are-political-they-have-to-be-reflections-of-their-times/) [John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/) > [Do not fear to put novels into the hands of young people as an occasional holiday experiment, but above all, good poetry in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/do-not-fear-to-put-novels-into-the-hands-of-young-people-as-an/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) [Browse all 59 Good poetry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-poetry/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The poet discovers that what men value as substances have a higher value as symbols; that Nature is the immense shadow of man. A man's action is only a picture-book of his creed. He does after what he believes. Your condition, your employment, is the fable of you. The world is thoroughly anthropomorphized, as if it had passed through the body and mind of man, and taken his mould and form. Indeed, good poetry is always personification, and heightens every species of force in nature by giving it a human volition. We are advertised that there is nothing to which man is not related; that everything is convertible into every other. The staff in his hand is the radius vector of the sun. The chemistry of this is the chemistry of that. Whatever one act we do, whatever one thing we learn, we are doing and learning all things,—marching in the direction of universal power. 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