The only business of the head in the world is to bow a ceaseless obeisance to the heart.

W.B. Yeats

More information about this quote

Topic

Reason and emotion The heart

Author

W.B. Yeats

Source

Letters of William Butler Yeats

Medium

Letter

Language

English

Time

1886 1880s 19th century

Occupation

Poet Writer

From

Ireland Europe

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Yeats, William Butler. Letter to Frederick J. Gregg. 1886.

Current Citation

Yeats, William Butler. "To F. J. Gregg [late summer 1886]." The Collected Letters of W. B. Yeats. Volume I: 1865-1895, edited by John Kelly. Oxford University Press, 1986.

Illustrated Quote

A quote by W.B. Yeats about reason and emotion: “The only business of the head in the world is to bow a ceaseless…”
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A quote by W.B. Yeats about reason and emotion: “The only business of the head in the world is to bow a ceaseless…”
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A quote by W.B. Yeats about reason and emotion: “The only business of the head in the world is to bow a ceaseless…”
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Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote by W.B. Yeats

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.

W.B. Yeats

The Second Coming

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Read The Second Coming at Poetry Foundation
More information about this quote
Topic
Dissolution Decline of civilization Societal collapse Political polarization Politics

Author

W.B. Yeats
Source
The Second Coming
Medium
Poem
Language
English
Time
1920 1920s 20th century
Authentication Score 0
Original Citation

Yeats, William Butler. "The Second Coming." The Dial, Nov. 1920.

Current Citation

Yeats, William Butler. "The Second Coming." W. B. Yeats: The Major Works, edited by Edward Larrissy. Oxford University Press, 2008.

Another quote from the 1880s

Sorrow comes in great waves—no one can know that better than you—but it rolls over us, and though it may almost smother us it leaves us on the spot, and we know that if it is strong we are stronger, inasmuch as it passes and we remain. It wears us, uses us, but we wear it and use it in return; and it is blind, whereas we after a manner see.

Henry James

More information about this quote
Topic
Learning from suffering Suffering

Author

Henry James
Source
Letters of Henry James
Medium
Letter
Statement Type
Metaphor, analogy and simile
Language
English
Time
1883 1880s 19th century
Authentication Score 3
Original Citation

James, Henry. Letter to Grace Norton. 28 July 1883.

Current Citation

James, Henry. "July 28th [1883] To Grace Norton." The Complete Letters of Henry James, 1883-1884, edited by Michael Anesko and Greg W. Zacharias. Vol. 1, University of Nebraska Press, 2018.