Who has not sat, afraid, before his own heart’s curtain? – Rainer Maria Rilke, Duino Elegies, “The Fourth Elegy,” translated from German by

The heart is the perfection of the whole organism. Therefore the principles of the power of perception and the soul’s ability to nourish itself must lie in the heart. – Aristotle

Only from the heart can you touch the sky. – Rumi

There is in every human heart Some not completely barren part, Where seeds of truth and love might grow, And flowers of generous virtue flow; To plant, to watch, to water there, This be our duty, be our care. – Sir John Bowring