--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You look at any poetic creature: muslin…" description: "\"You look at any poetic creature: muslin, ether, demigoddess, millions of delights; then you look into the soul and find the most ordinary crocodile!\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd5/anton-chekhov-298_creatures_you-look-at-any-poetic-creature-muslin-e_414985.jpg" --- # You look at any poetic creature: muslin, ether… ![“You look at any poetic creature: muslin, ether, demigoddess, millions of delights; then you look into the soul and find the most ordinary crocodile!” quote by Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd5/anton-chekhov-298_creatures_you-look-at-any-poetic-creature-muslin-e_414985.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd5/anton-chekhov-298_creatures_you-look-at-any-poetic-creature-muslin-e_414985.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd5/anton-chekhov-298_creatures_you-look-at-any-poetic-creature-muslin-e_414985.jpg) > “You look at any poetic creature: muslin, ether, demigoddess, millions of delights; then you look into the soul and find the most ordinary 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. Even the most beautiful beings contain ordinary, even base, inner truths. **In simple terms:** Beauty hides ordinary realities. Key Takeaway Recognize the humanity in all. Themes beauty humanity duality perception Mood analytical curious Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - relationships - art critique - personal reflection Key Concepts inner nature contradiction Questions to Reflect On - What ordinary traits do you notice in admired figures? - How does this duality affect your expectations? A Different Perspective Idealizing can obscure realistic understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Creatures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creatures/) [Crocodile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crocodile/) [Crocodiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crocodiles/) [Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight/) [Ether Demigoddess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ether-demigoddess-3690473/) [Look Poetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look-poetic-2673169/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Millions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millions/) [Ordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordinary/) [Ordinary Crocodile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordinary-crocodile-3690471/) [Poetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetic/) [Poetic Creature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetic-creature-3690472/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) ## Related quotes > [When one sees one of the romantic creatures before him he imagines he is looking at some holy being, so wonderful that its one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/when-one-sees-one-of-the-romantic-creatures-before-him-he-imagines-he/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [I need to look back on my poetic ventures, make sense of them as a whole, and move forward... and to experiment without external…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-harrison/i-need-to-look-back-on-my-poetic-ventures-make-sense-of-them-as-a/) [Tony Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-harrison/) > [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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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/) > [Every day, I live a lie But not the crocodile kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/every-day-i-live-a-lie-but-not-the-crocodile-kind/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [Is this how you repay my goodness--with badness?” cried the boy. “Of course,” said the crocodile out of the corner of his mouth. “That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-haley/is-this-how-you-repay-my-goodness-with-badness-cried-the-boy-of/) [Alex Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-haley/) > [To worship a crocodile is better to worship yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/to-worship-a-crocodile-is-better-to-worship-yourself/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [Appeasement, said Winston Churchill, consists of being nice to a crocodile in the hope that he will eat you last. 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/) > [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/) > [I'm obsessed with crocodiles and getting eaten by one. When I hear that someone's been eaten by a crocodile or shark, I just get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/i-m-obsessed-with-crocodiles-and-getting-eaten-by-one-when-i-hear/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [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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They just want to wipe out the Krauts, finish, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/lebedev-france-has-a-clear-and-defined-policy-the-french-know-what/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“My holy of holies are the human body, health, intelligence, talent, inspiration, love, and the most absolute freedom - freedom from force and falsity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/my-holy-of-holies-are-the-human-body-health-intelligence-talent/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“What we have, we do not treasure,” and what’s more we do not even love it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/what-we-have-we-do-not-treasure-and-what-s-more-we-do-not-even-love-it/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [No matter how corrupt and unjust a convict may be, he loves fairness more than anything else. 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I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) > [...it was a huge creature, luminous, ghastly, and spectral. I have cross-examined these men, one of them a hard-headed countryman, one a farrier, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/it-was-a-huge-creature-luminous-ghastly-and-spectral-i-have-cross/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [How do we know that we have a right to kill creatures that we are so little above, as dogs, for our curiosity or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/how-do-we-know-that-we-have-a-right-to-kill-creatures-that-we-are-so/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [My dad's family were political and he was always a theatrical creature, whereas my mum is really musical and her father was the touring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-jones/my-dad-s-family-were-political-and-he-was-always-a-theatrical/) [Grace Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-jones/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-love-for-all-living-creatures-is-the-most-noble-attribute-of-man/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [Children are not a zoo of entertainingly exotic creatures, but an array of mirrors in which the human predicament leaps out at us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/children-are-not-a-zoo-of-entertainingly-exotic-creatures-but-an/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [When I was in my teens I had a series of intensely religious experiences. 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