Literary notes about ASTOUND (AI summary)
The word "astound" has been deployed in literature to evoke a sense of overwhelming impact and grandeur, though its usage varies across works. In Edgar Allan Poe's writings [1][2], the term is embedded within detailed descriptions of decor designed to both "dazzle and astound," thereby intensifying the visual and emotional experience for the reader. In contrast, Dante Alighieri’s use in The Divine Comedy [3] places "astound" amid a broader tapestry of sensory and emotional contrasts, suggesting that even profound words can become as fleeting as the ephemeral sounds that distract from them. Meanwhile, the succinct standalone invocation of "Astound" in Walter Scott's work [4] further underscores its role as a powerful utterance capable of encapsulating the wonder or shock of a moment in just one word.
- In the architecture and embellishments of the chamber, the evident design had been to dazzle and astound.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe - In the architecture and embellishments of the chamber, the evident design had been to dazzle and astound.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2 by Edgar Allan Poe - A hundred shades and more, to whom the sound Had reached, stood in the moat to mark me well, Their pangs forgot; so did the words astound.
— from The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri: The Inferno by Dante Alighieri - Astound.
— from The Lady of the Lake by Walter Scott
