"Beauty is an ecstasy; it is as simple as hunger. There is really nothing to be said about it. It is like the perfume of a rose: you can smell it and that is all"

In this quote, W. Somerset Maugham compares beauty to an ecstasy, explaining it as a basic and primal desire, just like cravings. He implies that appeal elicits an emotional reaction that can not be discussed or taken into words, like the envigorating scent of a rose. Maugham recommends that beauty is not something that can be defined or dissected, but rather a sensory experience that is felt and appreciated in the minute. It is an ephemeral quality that needs absolutely nothing more than our understanding and appreciation of it. Eventually, Maugham represents appeal as a sublime, visceral experience that goes beyond language and justification.