--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had desired it with an ardor that far…" description: "\"“I had desired it with an ardor that far exceeded moderation, but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/mary-shelley-1789_dream_i-had-desired-it-with-an-ardor-that-far_1309825.jpg" --- # I had desired it with an ardor that far exceeded… ![“I had desired it with an ardor that far exceeded moderation, but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” quote by Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/mary-shelley-1789_dream_i-had-desired-it-with-an-ardor-that-far_1309825.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/mary-shelley-1789_dream_i-had-desired-it-with-an-ardor-that-far_1309825.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/mary-shelley-1789_dream_i-had-desired-it-with-an-ardor-that-far_1309825.jpg) > ““I had desired it with an ardor that far exceeded moderation, but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.”” [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. After achieving a long‑desired goal, the dream’s beauty fades, replaced by horror and disgust. **In simple terms:** Dreams can turn into horror after fulfillment. Key Takeaway Beware of obsessive pursuits. Themes desire disillusionment psychology Mood melancholic reflective Type literary psychological When to use this quote - creative projects - career ambitions - relationship goals - personal aspirations Key Concepts obsession mental health Questions to Reflect On - What happens when a goal is reached? - How to sustain fulfillment? A Different Perspective May overgeneralize personal experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breathless Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathless-horror-407427/) [Disgust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disgust/) [Disgust Filled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disgust-filled-4330535/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dream Vanished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream-vanished-407426/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Vanished Breathless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vanished-breathless-407428/) ## Related quotes > [“but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/but-now-that-i-had-finished-the-beauty-of-the-dream-vanished-and/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [“Joe!” he groaned, attempting to speak clearly. “Joe! Good ol’ Joe!” “Captain, you’re drunk!” Lofflin said, stating the obvious while trying to keep his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-engela/joe-he-groaned-attempting-to-speak-clearly-joe-good-ol-joe-captain/) [Christina Engela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-engela/) > [“…in that moment, as he saw and smelled how irresistible its effect was and how with lightning speed it spread and made captives of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/in-that-moment-as-he-saw-and-smelled-how-irresistible-its-effect-was/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [“Because of the size of this body, I must concentrate much harder than I usually do. Even the small things -- my foot on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/because-of-the-size-of-this-body-i-must-concentrate-much-harder-than/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I don't like animals. It's a strange thing, I don't like men and I don't like animals. As for God, he is beginning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/i-don-t-like-animals-it-s-a-strange-thing-i-don-t-like-men-and-i-don/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“His excuse made the corners of my mouth turn up. “You think I’m beautiful?” He frowned with disgust. “You’re gorgeous and you know it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/his-excuse-made-the-corners-of-my-mouth-turn-up-you-think-i-m/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [The reason that last-ditch political maneuvering has become business as usual in Washington is that the actors involved are drunk on blame and are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/the-reason-that-last-ditch-political-maneuvering-has-become-business/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [He made a sound of disgust in the back of his throat. "Oh thank you so much. That's what every man wants to hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/he-made-a-sound-of-disgust-in-the-back-of-his-throat-oh-thank-you-so/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Love turns, with a little indulgence, to indifference or disgust; hatred alone is immortal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/love-turns-with-a-little-indulgence-to-indifference-or-disgust-hatred/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [“He has the look of someone whose soul got up and walked away in disgust a long time ago.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-kidd/he-has-the-look-of-someone-whose-soul-got-up-and-walked-away-in/) [Jess Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-kidd/) > [Of all facial expressions, which is the worst to have aimed at you? Wouldn't you agree it's disgust?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leif-enger/of-all-facial-expressions-which-is-the-worst-to-have-aimed-at-you/) [Leif Enger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leif-enger/) > [Good God, man, what is that smell?" He eyed with disgust the doctor's filthy cloak. "Life," answered the doctor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/good-god-man-what-is-that-smell-he-eyed-with-disgust-the-doctor-s/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [Unless an entire row of people got up in the middle of a performance and left the theater in disgust, I felt as though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-piven/unless-an-entire-row-of-people-got-up-in-the-middle-of-a-performance/) [Jeremy Piven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-piven/) > [“in my afterword, which discusses the ugliest of all ugly feelings: disgust. As”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sianne-ngai/in-my-afterword-which-discusses-the-ugliest-of-all-ugly-feelings/) [Sianne Ngai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sianne-ngai/) > [That man has missed something who has never left a brothel at sunrise feeling like throwing himself into the river out of pure disgust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/that-man-has-missed-something-who-has-never-left-a-brothel-at-sunrise/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) ## More by Mary Shelley > [“but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/but-now-that-i-had-finished-the-beauty-of-the-dream-vanished-and/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [“I wished, as it were, to procrastinate all that related to my feelings of affection until the great object, which swallowed up every habit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/i-wished-as-it-were-to-procrastinate-all-that-related-to-my-feelings/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [“A sense of security, a feeling that a truce was established between the present hour and the irresistible, disastrous future imparted to me a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/a-sense-of-security-a-feeling-that-a-truce-was-established-between/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [“Who was I? What was I? Whence did I come?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/who-was-i-what-was-i-whence-did-i-come/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [“voyage to render their seeming eccentricities consistent forever. I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/voyage-to-render-their-seeming-eccentricities-consistent-forever-i/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [“I agree with you," replied the stranger; "we are unfashioned creatures, but half made up, if one wiser, better, dearer than ourselves -- such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/i-agree-with-you-replied-the-stranger-we-are-unfashioned-creatures/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [“I write a few lines in haste to say that I am safe—and well advanced on my voyage. This letter will reach England by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/i-write-a-few-lines-in-haste-to-say-that-i-am-safe-and-well-advanced/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [“I enjoyed this scene; and yet my enjoyment was embittered both by the memory of the past, and the anticipation of the future. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/i-enjoyed-this-scene-and-yet-my-enjoyment-was-embittered-both-by-the/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [“I learned that the possessions most esteemed by your fellow-creatures were, high and unsullied descent united with riches. A man might be respected with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/i-learned-that-the-possessions-most-esteemed-by-your-fellow-creatures/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [“These are my enticements, and they are sufficient to conquer all fear of danger or death and to induce me to commence this laborious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/these-are-my-enticements-and-they-are-sufficient-to-conquer-all-fear/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [“I will tell my story, and my reader shall judge for me. I will tell my story, and so contrive to pass some few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/i-will-tell-my-story-and-my-reader-shall-judge-for-me-i-will-tell-my/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [“A man would make but a very sorry chemist if he attended to that department of human knowledge alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/a-man-would-make-but-a-very-sorry-chemist-if-he-attended-to-that/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [“Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/learn-from-me-if-not-by-my-precepts-at-least-by-my-example-how/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [“Who shall conceive the horrors of my secret toil as I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave or tortured the living animal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/who-shall-conceive-the-horrors-of-my-secret-toil-as-i-dabbled-among/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [“For some days I haunted the spot where these scenes had taken place, sometimes wishing to see you, sometimes resolved to quit the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/for-some-days-i-haunted-the-spot-where-these-scenes-had-taken-place/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) [Explore all 199 Mary Shelley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) ## More Disgust quotes > [“Joe!” he groaned, attempting to speak clearly. “Joe! Good ol’ Joe!” “Captain, you’re drunk!” Lofflin said, stating the obvious while trying to keep his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-engela/joe-he-groaned-attempting-to-speak-clearly-joe-good-ol-joe-captain/) [Christina Engela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-engela/) > [“but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/but-now-that-i-had-finished-the-beauty-of-the-dream-vanished-and/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [“in my afterword, which discusses the ugliest of all ugly feelings: disgust. As”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sianne-ngai/in-my-afterword-which-discusses-the-ugliest-of-all-ugly-feelings/) [Sianne Ngai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sianne-ngai/) > [Unless an entire row of people got up in the middle of a performance and left the theater in disgust, I felt as though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-piven/unless-an-entire-row-of-people-got-up-in-the-middle-of-a-performance/) [Jeremy Piven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-piven/) > [Good God, man, what is that smell?" He eyed with disgust the doctor's filthy cloak. "Life," answered the doctor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/good-god-man-what-is-that-smell-he-eyed-with-disgust-the-doctor-s/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [Of all facial expressions, which is the worst to have aimed at you? Wouldn't you agree it's disgust?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leif-enger/of-all-facial-expressions-which-is-the-worst-to-have-aimed-at-you/) [Leif Enger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leif-enger/) > [“He has the look of someone whose soul got up and walked away in disgust a long time ago.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-kidd/he-has-the-look-of-someone-whose-soul-got-up-and-walked-away-in/) [Jess Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-kidd/) > [Love turns, with a little indulgence, to indifference or disgust; hatred alone is immortal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/love-turns-with-a-little-indulgence-to-indifference-or-disgust-hatred/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [He made a sound of disgust in the back of his throat. "Oh thank you so much. That's what every man wants to hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/he-made-a-sound-of-disgust-in-the-back-of-his-throat-oh-thank-you-so/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [The reason that last-ditch political maneuvering has become business as usual in Washington is that the actors involved are drunk on blame and are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/the-reason-that-last-ditch-political-maneuvering-has-become-business/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [“His excuse made the corners of my mouth turn up. “You think I’m beautiful?” He frowned with disgust. “You’re gorgeous and you know it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/his-excuse-made-the-corners-of-my-mouth-turn-up-you-think-i-m/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [“I don't like animals. It's a strange thing, I don't like men and I don't like animals. As for God, he is beginning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/i-don-t-like-animals-it-s-a-strange-thing-i-don-t-like-men-and-i-don/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“Because of the size of this body, I must concentrate much harder than I usually do. Even the small things -- my foot on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/because-of-the-size-of-this-body-i-must-concentrate-much-harder-than/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“…in that moment, as he saw and smelled how irresistible its effect was and how with lightning speed it spread and made captives of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-s-skind/in-that-moment-as-he-saw-and-smelled-how-irresistible-its-effect-was/) [Patrick Süskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-s-skind/) > [That man has missed something who has never left a brothel at sunrise feeling like throwing himself into the river out of pure disgust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/that-man-has-missed-something-who-has-never-left-a-brothel-at-sunrise/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) [Browse all 274 Disgust quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disgust/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I had desired it with an ardor that far exceeded moderation, but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mary Shelley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/i-had-desired-it-with-an-ardor-that-far-exceeded-moderation-but-now/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Disgust" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/i-had-desired-it-with-an-ardor-that-far-exceeded-moderation-but-now/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/mary-shelley-1789_dream_i-had-desired-it-with-an-ardor-that-far_1309825.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/mary-shelley-1789_dream_i-had-desired-it-with-an-ardor-that-far_1309825.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/mary-shelley-1789_dream_i-had-desired-it-with-an-ardor-that-far_1309825.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I had desired it with an ardor that far exceeded moderation, but now that I had finished, the beauty of the…” — Mary Shelley", "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": "Mary Shelley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I had desired it with an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/i-had-desired-it-with-an-ardor-that-far-exceeded-moderation-but-now/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/i-had-desired-it-with-an-ardor-that-far-exceeded-moderation-but-now/#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 } } ] } ```