The word "cull" in literature often carries the sense of selecting, extracting, or gathering from a larger whole, and its use varies intriguingly between literal and metaphorical contexts. Montaigne, for example, employs it to describe the selective act of singling out mistresses amid the complexities of human relationships [1], while Baudelaire uses the term to evoke the gentle extraction of a fragrance from its source [2]. Poets such as Victor Hugo and Pushkin extend its metaphorical range—citing the act of plucking a bud in May or gathering laurels—to reflect the delicate process of retrieving beauty and power from nature [3, 4, 5]. Similarly, both Shakespeare and Plutarch use "cull" to denote the careful selection of necessities or the purest elements from a broader material, highlighting its dual role in choice and preservation [6, 7]. Even in more colloquial contexts, as seen in Fielding's narrative, the word underscores the nuanced distinctions one must discern among various "types" [8]. Overall, these varied uses underscore a literary tradition that values the act of culling as both a means of creative extraction and a reflection of critical judgment.