• When the Heart Breaks

  • A Journey Through Requited and Unrequited Love
  • By: David Whyte
  • Narrated by: David Whyte
  • Length: 2 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (263 ratings)

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When the Heart Breaks  By  cover art

When the Heart Breaks

By: David Whyte
Narrated by: David Whyte
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Publisher's summary

If you never knew disappointment, would you ever grow? If you had never felt loss, could you have compassion for another? Without real heartache, would you ever know the greatness of love? On When the Heart Breaks, David Whyte invites you to join him in an investigation of a question that rests at the center of human experience. With a poet's insight into the landscape of the soul, he offers a deeply moving exploration of how we experience love and loss, and how with resilience and time we can rise again each time we are broken. "No human being has ever lived without knowing heartbreak," David Whyte tells us. "And to accept that truth is to give a merciful gift to ourselves." As David reveals, so often our hearts break because the love we offer - whether to a partner, a friend, a child, or a place - is not returned to us in the same way. Yet if we retreat from experience of unrequited love, he says, we miss the opportunity to discover the countless invisible ways that the world offers us its love in return, often unlooked for and unrecognized.

Understanding heartbreak, says David Whyte, helps us to develop a more beautiful mind - a mind that embraces the hidden riches of life. We learn to apprentice ourselves to the great and small difficulties that test the edges of our identity and lead us into greater and greater understanding. With words to inspire laughter, courage, and deep reflection, David Whyte invites you to join him in the great conversation that takes us into the exquisite vulnerability of the unknown - the way a heartbreak can make us more humble, more aware, and expand our ability to love.

©2012 David Whyte (P)2012 David Whyte

What listeners say about When the Heart Breaks

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Disappointing

Well he creates an example of what he talking about -disappointment. The guy is too full of himself. Even his discussion at the end of his friend memorial service is dominated by a) " memorial of a great man loved by all - this is just like it will be when I die. " B) "oh and I got to the podium and had prepared nothing (for your dear intimate friend the great man you just take the floor with nothing to say?) and well there was so much expectation because I'm a great poet. And well of course what I did say what came to me (by Spender) just happened to be perfect." Wow - glad that didn't shake your confidence, Buddy. It's not that there is no insight here. It's just that it is so overshadowed by self congratulation.

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7 people found this helpful

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Outatanding!

Lyrical, spiritual, deep, passionate, down to earth, laughter & tears as only David Whyte does.

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2 people found this helpful

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Seeps into your heart slowly and sweetly

David's poetry and humor are so telling of the human experience and human spirit that as he speaks, it's almost as if his words come from inside--from your own heart and soul. Beautiful talk with loving remembrance of the people and places he loves and has loved.

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2 people found this helpful

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A perfect piece to remember the gift life is during the holidays

This book is a lovely at the station to all the life’s glory. It is wonderful to hear the author and to feel as though we were in his presence for a few hours as he shares such poignant stories of life and love.

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1 person found this helpful

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A true joy

Such a pleasure to hear David’s stories and poems. Immensely pleasurable and I will listen multiple times again for sure.
A true joy!

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Helpful

Can be listened to over and over, David's delivery is full of rich tones, even laughter to set your path forward

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Transformative poetry

David Whyte discussing his poetry, his spirituality in the context of unrequited love and loss. Beautiful and breathtaking.

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Brilliant. Inspirational.

David Whyte is a poet, storyteller, and his wisdom penetrates into the heart — well, my heart. I can listen over and over and always hear something new.

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Exquisite

Touched, inspired to love, feeling and the richness of life and death. Well done, thank you

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A treasure

Truly an incredible and profound lecture by poet David Whyte. He uses storytelling, humor, humility, and poetry to share his reflections on the beauty of living.

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