"Many attempts have been made by writers on art and poetry to define beauty in the abstract, to express it in the most general terms, to find some universal formula for it"

This quote by Walter Pater speaks to the trouble of specifying appeal in the abstract. Writers have long looked for to express beauty in the most general terms, to discover a universal formula for it. This is an uphill struggle, as appeal is subjective and can be translated differently by various people. It is also challenging to reveal beauty in words, as charm is frequently experienced through the senses. In spite of the difficulty of the job, authors have actually continued to try to define charm in the abstract, as it is an idea that has captivated people for centuries. Eventually, appeal is something that is knowledgeable and felt, and it is difficult to record its essence in words.