Quote by Henry David Thoreau
For what are the classics but the noblest thoughts of man? They are the only oracles which are not decayed, and there are such answers to the most modern inquiry in them as Delphi and Dodona never gave. We might as well omit to study Nature because she is old.
Summary
This quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson emphasizes the timeless value of classic literature. It suggests that the classics contain the most profound and noble ideas conceived by human beings. Unlike other sources of wisdom, which tend to lose relevance over time, the classics remain a rich and reliable reservoir of knowledge. Comparing them to the oracles of ancient Greece, Emerson argues that the classics offer answers to contemporary questions that are just as insightful as those provided by the revered oracles. The quote encourages us to appreciate and study the classics, dismissing the notion that their age diminishes their importance, much like the importance of studying the natural world despite its own antiquity.
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