Original artwork, not a still
The Little Prince ‧ 1943
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; What is essential is invisible to the eye.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The fox's secret answers the whole book: grown-ups count and measure, but what makes a rose, a friend or a childhood worth keeping cannot be seen. Written by an airman in exile during the war, it has become the line people reach for on cards, tattoos and funeral readings, which is why it is quoted far more often than any other sentence from a book the world calls a children's story.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Little PrinceShow the scene
Saint-Exupery's novella, first published in April 1943 in English and French by Reynal & Hitchcock in the United States, follows a small prince who has left his planet and his vain, beloved rose. On Earth he meets a fox who asks to be tamed, and teaches him that taming makes one thing special among thousands. When the two part, the fox gives him his secret as a gift: in French, "on ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur", and what matters most is invisible to the eyes. The prince goes away understanding that his own rose is unique because of the time he spent on her.
Sources (2)
- Wikipedia: The Little PrincePublication note and plot summary (the fox)Reference checked
- Wikiquote: Antoine de Saint-ExuperyLe Petit Prince (1943) sectionReference checked
Context reviewed
