Read for yourselves, read for the sake of your inspiration, for the sweet turmoil in your lovely head. But also read against yourselves, read for questioning and impotence, for despair and erudition, read the dry sardonic remarks of cynical philosophers like Cioran or even Carl Schmitt, read newspapers, read those who despise, dismiss or simply ignore poetry and try to understand why they do it. Read your enemies, read those who reinforce your sense of what's evolving in poetry, and also read those whose darkness or malice or madness or greatness you can't understand because only in this way will you grow, outlive yourself, and become what you are. Adam Zagajewski
About This Quote

When Ralph Waldo Emerson said “Read for yourselves, read for the sake of your inspiration, for the sweet turmoil in your lovely head. But also read against yourselves, read for questioning and impotence, for despair and erudition, read the dry sardonic remarks of cynical philosophers like Cioran or even Carl Schmitt, read newspapers, read those who despise, dismiss or simply ignore poetry and try to understand why they do it. Read your enemies, read those who reinforce your sense of what's evolving in poetry, and also read those whose darkness or malice or madness or greatness you can't understand because only in this way will you grow, outlive yourself, and become what you are.” He was a great man who had a great vision. He thought that reading was a privilege and not a right.

It is now a commonplace thing to see people reading on computers from their bedroom. People from past generations would rather go to the library to buy books as it was a privilege for them to enjoy reading as they got time from their busy schedules to do so. Many libraries were built during his time as well as many bookstores where they could find any book they wanted at a price they could afford.

People enjoyed going there as much as going to the movies now.

Source: A Defense Of Ardor: Essays

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