# Thy Heart explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by George MacDonald.

## What happens

A brief poem urging the reader to keep an open and generous heart, comparing it to a wide basket or overflowing cup rather than a closed casket.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love as Ultimate Strength

The poem encourages an open, generous heart that overflows with love and kindness.

## Key lines

> Make not of thy heart a casket, Opening seldom, quick to close; But of bread a wide-mouthed basket, Or a cup that overflows.

Do not make your heart like a small, locked box that rarely opens and quickly shuts; instead, let it be like a large basket for bread or a cup that spills over with abundance.

_The poem contrasts a closed, guarded heart with an open, generous one._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_8_se/chapters/thy-heart
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_8_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_8_se/chapters