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From my experience with wild apples, I can understand that there may be reason for a savage's preferring many kinds of food which the civilized man rejects. The former has the palate of an outdoor man. It takes a savage or wild taste to appreciate a wild fruit.
Henry David Thoreau
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote reflects on the difference in taste and appreciation between the savage and civilized man, using wild apples as a metaphor for natural, unrefined experiences.

Henry David Thoreau's quote explores the idea that individuals who are close to nature, or who live a simpler, more primitive life, may have a deeper appreciation for things that those in civilized society often overlook or reject. He suggests that a 'savage' or untamed perspective allows for a richer, more authentic enjoyment of the natural world, exemplified by wild apples, which are often deemed inferior by those accustomed to the cultivated and refined tastes of civilization.

Themes

NatureWildAppreciationSavageCivilization

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about environmental conservation, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of appreciating natural, untamed landscapes.

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As every season seems best to us in its turn, so the coming in of spring is like the creation of Cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the Golden Age.
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That grand old poem called Winter
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