Antoine de Saint-Exupéry quotes
1900 – 1944 · France, 20th century · Writer, poet, journalist and aviator
About Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Born in Lyon in 1900, Saint-Exupéry combined a career as a pilot with literary work. His books and essays reflect duty, risk and human solidarity rooted in aviation and exile. He disappeared on a 1944 reconnaissance flight over the Mediterranean.
Works: The Little Prince; Night Flight; Wind, Sand and Stars; Flight to Arras
Quotes
“One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”
Source: The Little Prince, ch. 21 (1943) · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The sentence is spoken by the Fox in chapter 21 of The Little Prince; authorship by Antoine de Saint‑Exupéry is securely attested.
The line names a moral truth: true insight comes through bond and care, not mere sight. In The Little Prince the Fox explains that taming—patience, attention, responsibility—makes the essential visible to the heart.