Literary notes about ACID (AI summary)
The word “acid” in literature fulfills a dual role, serving as both a precise chemical term and a metaphor for corrosive intensity or transformative sensations. In scientific texts and technical descriptions, authors refer to specific acids—such as carbonic acid and phosphoric acid—to describe chemical reactions and natural phenomena, as seen in discussions of fertilizers, combustion, and effervescence ([1], [2], [3]). Conversely, in literary fiction the term transcends its scientific origins to evoke powerful imagery and emotional states. For instance, it vividly conveys the idea of something corrosively penetrating the mind, as in the image of “acid eating its way” into one’s brain ([4]), or captures biting, sardonic speech when a character’s tone is described as “faintly acid” ([5]). Whether used to detail chemical processes or to metaphorically suggest burning intensity and decay, “acid” demonstrates literature’s capacity to blend technical language with evocative, richly layered symbolism.
- It is now distinguished by the more appropriate name of carbonic acid gas .
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Does phosphorus, in burning in atmospherical 274 air, produce, like sulphur, a weaker sort of the same acid?
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - But drain it, and let in the air, and the oxygen decomposes the organic matter, and ammonia and nitric acid are produced.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Martin went into the kitchen with a sinking heart, the image of her red face and slatternly form eating its way like acid into his brain.
— from Martin Eden by Jack London - Her tone about her master was faintly acid; though not without a certain awe.
— from The innocence of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton
