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What is it which makes a man and a woman know that they…

“What is it which makes a man and a woman know that they, of all other men and women in the world, belong to each other? Is it no more than chance and meeting? no more than being alive together in the world at the same time? Is it only a curve of the throat, a line of the chin, the way the eyes are…” quote by Robert Nathan
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““What is it which makes a man and a woman know that they, of all other men and women in the world, belong to each other? Is it no more than chance and meeting? no more than being alive together in the world at the same time? Is it only a curve of the throat, a line of the chin, the way the eyes are set, a way of speaking? Or is it something deeper and stranger, something beyond meeting, something beyond chance and fortune? Are there others, in other times of the world, whom we should have loved, who would have loved us? Is there, perhaps, one soul among all others--among all who have lived, the endless generations, from world's end to world's end--who must love us or die? And whom we must love, in turn--whom we must seek all our lives long--headlong and homesick--until the end?””

Robert Nathan

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote explores the mystery of deep, destined love that feels predestined and transcendent beyond chance encounters.

In simple terms: Love may feel fated and beyond chance.

Key Takeaway

Seek and cherish profound connections.

Themes

love destiny spirituality longing

Mood

hopeful reflective

Type

philosophical romantic

When to use this quote

  • marriage
  • long‑distance relationships
  • historical romances
  • personal introspection

Key Concepts

soulmates predestination transcendence

Questions to Reflect On

  • Do you believe in a soul‑mate?
  • How do you balance destiny with personal effort?
A Different Perspective

It may romanticize idealized love, ignoring practical compatibility.

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