--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A heart of fire in a shell of ice." description: "\"“A heart of fire in a shell of ice.”\" — Francine du Plessix Gray" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/francine-du-plessix-gray-19971_fire_a-heart-of-fire-in-a-shell-of-ice-195402_195402.png" --- # A heart of fire in a shell of ice. ![“A heart of fire in a shell of ice.” quote by Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/francine-du-plessix-gray-19971_fire_a-heart-of-fire-in-a-shell-of-ice-195402_195402.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/francine-du-plessix-gray-19971_fire_a-heart-of-fire-in-a-shell-of-ice-195402_195402.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/francine-du-plessix-gray-19971_fire_a-heart-of-fire-in-a-shell-of-ice-195402_195402.png) > ““A heart of fire in a shell of ice.”” [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Contrasting inner passion with outward coldness, suggesting hidden intensity beneath a calm exterior. **In simple terms:** Passion hidden behind a cool façade. Key Takeaway Recognize and nurture inner fire despite a composed exterior. Themes identity emotion self-awareness Mood reflective introspective Type metaphorical literary When to use this quote - personal relationships - leadership - creative work - stress management Key Concepts dual nature inner conflict self-protection Questions to Reflect On - What passions do you conceal? - How can you express inner fire constructively? A Different Perspective May be overly romanticized; not all cold exteriors hide fire. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) ## Related quotes > [“I’ve never been so empty in my life. You took my soul with you. You took my heart. I’m this empty shell who goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbi-glines/i-ve-never-been-so-empty-in-my-life-you-took-my-soul-with-you-you/) [Abbi Glines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbi-glines/) > [Shes got a fractured heart and shell be out the rest of the season.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/shes-got-a-fractured-heart-and-shell-be-out-the-rest-of-the-season/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We do not know until the shell breaks what kind of egg we have been sitting on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot-2/we-do-not-know-until-the-shell-breaks-what-kind-of-egg-we-have-been/) [T.S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot-2/) > [the shell must break before the bird can fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/the-shell-must-break-before-the-bird-can-fly/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [“Failure is information encased in a shell of pain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/failure-is-information-encased-in-a-shell-of-pain/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [If you want to write for T.V. and movies, you will be subjected to kind and unkind criticism. You had better get used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-beatts/if-you-want-to-write-for-t-v-and-movies-you-will-be-subjected-to-kind/) [Anne Beatts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-beatts/) > [“You can live for a long time inside the shell you were born in. But one day it'll become too small." "Then what?" I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-baker-kline/you-can-live-for-a-long-time-inside-the-shell-you-were-born-in-but/) [Christina Baker Kline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-baker-kline/) > [He that would eat the nut must crack the shell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plautus/he-that-would-eat-the-nut-must-crack-the-shell/) [Plautus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plautus/) > [“When we crave the touch and the feel of an unfeigned world, we must not waver and put our quest on the back burner,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/when-we-crave-the-touch-and-the-feel-of-an-unfeigned-world-we-must/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [A guided missile corrects its trajectory as it flies, homing in, say, on the heat of a jet plane's exhaust. A great improvement on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/a-guided-missile-corrects-its-trajectory-as-it-flies-homing-in-say-on/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Marriage is give and take. Youd better give it to him or shell take it anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azgraybebly-joslan/marriage-is-give-and-take-youd-better-give-it-to-him-or-shell-take-it/) Azgraybebly Joslan > [We feel our shell keeps us safe, but it crushes us and others, and keeps out light and sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taisen-deshimaru/we-feel-our-shell-keeps-us-safe-but-it-crushes-us-and-others-and/) [Taisen Deshimaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taisen-deshimaru/) > [What we wear is the shell of who we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-tautou/what-we-wear-is-the-shell-of-who-we-are/) [Audrey Tautou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-tautou/) > [I put my comics that are really valuable into regular mylar because I like to look at them. Once they're in those clam shell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-johns/i-put-my-comics-that-are-really-valuable-into-regular-mylar-because-i/) [Geoff Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-johns/) > [We learn to make a shell for ourselves when we are young and then spend the rest of our lives hoping for someone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-russell/we-learn-to-make-a-shell-for-ourselves-when-we-are-young-and-then/) [Bill Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-russell/) ## More by Francine du Plessix Gray > [I think it's one of the reasons I wrote my book later in life. My parents didn't have these extreme alternations of conduct. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/i-think-it-s-one-of-the-reasons-i-wrote-my-book-later-in-life-my/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) > [The choice between starving and being eaten is an exotic one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/the-choice-between-starving-and-being-eaten-is-an-exotic-one/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) > [“Ah women, women, my life's plague and chief delight!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/ah-women-women-my-life-s-plague-and-chief-delight/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) > [All our parents have levels of deviousness. We're driven to write about this discrepancy between the bright shining selves they invented and the monsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/all-our-parents-have-levels-of-deviousness-we-re-driven-to-write/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) > [Oh, save me God, but not quite yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/oh-save-me-god-but-not-quite-yet/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) > [I write because in the act of creation there comes that mysterious, abundant sense of being both parent and child; I am giving birth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/i-write-because-in-the-act-of-creation-there-comes-that-mysterious/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) > [“...in Aristotle...leisure is a far more noble, spiritual goal than work...leisure is pursued solely for its own sake...: the pleasures of music and poetry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/in-aristotle-leisure-is-a-far-more-noble-spiritual-goal-than-work/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) > [The irreversibility of time. That's the hardest thing to accept at our age, that's the most violent aspect of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/the-irreversibility-of-time-that-s-the-hardest-thing-to-accept-at-our/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) > [Americans and their desire to be novelists, the American novel should be listed in medical dictionaries alongside Megalomania and Obsessional Neuroses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/americans-and-their-desire-to-be-novelists-the-american-novel-should/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) > [We write out of revenge against reality, to dream and enter the lives of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/we-write-out-of-revenge-against-reality-to-dream-and-enter-the-lives/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) > [I think we're much more eager to know about our parents than we were in the seventies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/i-think-we-re-much-more-eager-to-know-about-our-parents-than-we-were/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) > [one forgives parents as naturally as one emancipates oneself from them - usually shortly afterward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/one-forgives-parents-as-naturally-as-one-emancipates-oneself-from/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) > [I venture that those of us who are most serene when faced with the possibility of nothingness are the ones who've reached furthest to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/i-venture-that-those-of-us-who-are-most-serene-when-faced-with-the/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) > [Why are there no great women artists?' sounds as ignorant of human geography as the query 'Why are there no Eskimo tennis teams?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/why-are-there-no-great-women-artists-sounds-as-ignorant-of-human/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) > [If I were ever to go mad it would be on Thanksgiving Day, that day of guilt and grace when the family hangs upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/if-i-were-ever-to-go-mad-it-would-be-on-thanksgiving-day-that-day-of/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) [Explore all 31 Francine du Plessix Gray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) ## More Fire quotes > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“I locked the door and turned on the water to fill the tub. I made it so hot that I had to get in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-crandall/i-locked-the-door-and-turned-on-the-water-to-fill-the-tub-i-made-it/) [Susan Crandall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-crandall/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [“Nothing is ever lost nor can be lost; the body aged, sluggish,cold… the embers left from earlier fires shall dully flame again”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/nothing-is-ever-lost-nor-can-be-lost-the-body-aged-sluggish-cold-the/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Tonight I feel like a prisoner on fire, waiting desperately... denied, sentenced forever more. Only your love can set me free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bolton/tonight-i-feel-like-a-prisoner-on-fire-waiting-desperately-denied/) [Michael Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bolton/) > [There are different kinds of fire; there is false fire. No one knows this better than we do, but we are not such fools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-booth/there-are-different-kinds-of-fire-there-is-false-fire-no-one-knows/) [William Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-booth/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [War is like a fire. One man may start it, but it will spread all over. It is not about one thing in particular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/war-is-like-a-fire-one-man-may-start-it-but-it-will-spread-all-over/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Carrying that lumber the forty meters from the forest had left his knuckles blistered, his underarms sopping, but now a few hours of flames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/carrying-that-lumber-the-forty-meters-from-the-forest-had-left-his/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [May nothing entice me till I happily make my way to Jesus Christ! Fire, cross, struggles with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, mangling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/may-nothing-entice-me-till-i-happily-make-my-way-to-jesus-christ-fire/) [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/) > [AHHHHHH! Goyle has set the bloody place on fire! -Ron Weasley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ahhhhhh-goyle-has-set-the-bloody-place-on-fire-ron-weasley/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 8,652 Fire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A heart of fire in a shell of ice.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francine du Plessix Gray" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/a-heart-of-fire-in-a-shell-of-ice/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/a-heart-of-fire-in-a-shell-of-ice/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/francine-du-plessix-gray-19971_fire_a-heart-of-fire-in-a-shell-of-ice-195402_195402.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/francine-du-plessix-gray-19971_fire_a-heart-of-fire-in-a-shell-of-ice-195402_195402.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d2/francine-du-plessix-gray-19971_fire_a-heart-of-fire-in-a-shell-of-ice-195402_195402.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A heart of fire in a shell of ice.” — Francine du Plessix Gray", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Francine du Plessix Gray", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A heart of fire in a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/a-heart-of-fire-in-a-shell-of-ice/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/a-heart-of-fire-in-a-shell-of-ice/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```