--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When one sees one of the romantic…" description: "\"When one sees one of the romantic creatures before him he imagines he is looking at some holy being, so wonderful that its one breath could dissolve hi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/anton-chekhov-298_breaths_when-one-sees-one-of-the-romantic-creatu_1997076.jpg" --- # When one sees one of the romantic creatures before him he… ![“When one sees one of the romantic creatures before him he imagines he is looking at some holy being, so wonderful that its one breath could dissolve him in a sea of a thousand charms and delights; but if one looks into the soul -- it's nothing but a common crocodile.” quote by Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/anton-chekhov-298_breaths_when-one-sees-one-of-the-romantic-creatu_1997076.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/anton-chekhov-298_breaths_when-one-sees-one-of-the-romantic-creatu_1997076.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/anton-chekhov-298_breaths_when-one-sees-one-of-the-romantic-creatu_1997076.jpg) > “When one sees one of the romantic creatures before him he imagines he is looking at some holy being, so wonderful that its one breath could dissolve him in a sea of a thousand charms and delights; but if one looks into the soul -- it's nothing but a common crocodile.” [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Romanticizing beauty can elevate it to sacred status, yet true insight reveals its ordinary, even base nature. **In simple terms:** Beauty can seem holy but is often ordinary. Key Takeaway Look beyond romantic idealization. Themes beauty illusion reality perception Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - art criticism - personal relationships - media consumption - evaluating role Key Concepts romanticism critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate genuine beauty from illusion? - When does admiration become unrealistic? A Different Perspective Idealizing can blind judgment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breaths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaths/) [Charm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charm/) [Crocodile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crocodile/) [Crocodiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crocodiles/) [Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight/) [Holy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) ## Related quotes > [You look at any poetic creature: muslin, ether, demigoddess, millions of delights; then you look into the soul and find the most ordinary crocodile!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/you-look-at-any-poetic-creature-muslin-ether-demigoddess-millions-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [I'm the first one who sees every romantic comedy in theaters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-olsen/i-m-the-first-one-who-sees-every-romantic-comedy-in-theaters/) [Elizabeth Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-olsen/) > [Curled up at the base of the scales, fast asleep, was the oddest monster I'd seen yet. It had the head of crocodile with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/curled-up-at-the-base-of-the-scales-fast-asleep-was-the-oddest/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Appeasement is feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/appeasement-is-feeding-the-crocodile-hoping-he-will-eat-you-last/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Each one hopes that if he feeds the crocodile enough, the crocodile will eat him last. All of them hope that the storm will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/each-one-hopes-that-if-he-feeds-the-crocodile-enough-the-crocodile/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [The crocodile cannot turn its head. Like all science, it must always go forward with all-devouring jaws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pyotr-kapitsa/the-crocodile-cannot-turn-its-head-like-all-science-it-must-always-go/) Pyotr Kapitsa > [The crocodile must want to be a crocodile for reasons of the crocodile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-kahn/the-crocodile-must-want-to-be-a-crocodile-for-reasons-of-the-crocodile/) [Louis Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-kahn/) > [Alligator: The crocodile of America, superior in every detail to the crocodile of the effete monarchies of the Old World.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/alligator-the-crocodile-of-america-superior-in-every-detail-to-the/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Statistically there's only one crocodile-related human fatality per year in the whole of Australia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-irwin/statistically-there-s-only-one-crocodile-related-human-fatality-per/) [Steve Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-irwin/) > [I'm obsessed with crocodiles and getting eaten by one. 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At the moment, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-naughton/appeasement-said-winston-churchill-consists-of-being-nice-to-a/) [John Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-naughton/) > [See you later, alligator. After a while, crocodile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-haley/see-you-later-alligator-after-a-while-crocodile/) [Bill Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-haley/) ## More by Anton Chekhov > [“Using vile means to attain worthy ends makes the ends themselves vile. Let them ride on the backs of doctors and medical assistants, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/using-vile-means-to-attain-worthy-ends-makes-the-ends-themselves-vile/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [If ever my life can be of any use to you, come and claim it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/if-ever-my-life-can-be-of-any-use-to-you-come-and-claim-it/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [There are still many more days of failure ahead, whole seasons of failure, things will go terribly wrong, you will have huge disappointments ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/there-are-still-many-more-days-of-failure-ahead-whole-seasons-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“But here was all the timorousness and angularity of inexperienced youth, a feeling of awkwardness, and an impression of bewilderment, as if someone had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/but-here-was-all-the-timorousness-and-angularity-of-inexperienced/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“At the water's edge, barrels of pitch blazed like huge bonfires. 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To do both is supreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustine-birrell/poetry-should-be-vital-either-stirring-our-blood-by-its-divine/) [Augustine Birrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustine-birrell/) > [Tic Tacs are the maracas of breath mints.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/tic-tacs-are-the-maracas-of-breath-mints/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [The river is motion, turmoil, rage. 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But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlee-matlin/we-had-a-dog-apples-he-was-13-years-old-toothless-blind-and-had-the/) [Marlee Matlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlee-matlin/) [Browse all 1,609 Breaths quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaths/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When one sees one of the romantic creatures before him he imagines he is looking at some holy being, so wonderful that its one breath could dissolve him in a sea of a thousand charms and delights; but if one looks into the soul -- it's nothing but a common crocodile.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anton Chekhov" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/when-one-sees-one-of-the-romantic-creatures-before-him-he-imagines-he/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Breaths" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/when-one-sees-one-of-the-romantic-creatures-before-him-he-imagines-he/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/anton-chekhov-298_breaths_when-one-sees-one-of-the-romantic-creatu_1997076.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/anton-chekhov-298_breaths_when-one-sees-one-of-the-romantic-creatu_1997076.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/anton-chekhov-298_breaths_when-one-sees-one-of-the-romantic-creatu_1997076.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When one sees one of the romantic creatures before him he imagines he is looking at some holy being, so…” — Anton Chekhov", "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": "Anton Chekhov", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When one sees one of the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/when-one-sees-one-of-the-romantic-creatures-before-him-he-imagines-he/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/when-one-sees-one-of-the-romantic-creatures-before-him-he-imagines-he/#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 } } ] } ```