Literary notes about Amassed (AI summary)
In literature, the term "amassed" frequently emphasizes the gradual, often arduous accumulation of wealth, knowledge, or treasured experiences. It is used to convey not just the sheer quantity gathered over time, as when a republic "amassed any considerable treasure" [1] or a character "had amassed a considerable sum" [2], but also the transformative impact of such accumulation. Authors employ "amassed" to highlight both the rewards of diligence—as seen in discussions of personal fortunes and savings [3, 4]—and the sometimes ominous consequences of overindulgence or corruption, evoking images of vast riches that alter destinies [5, 6]. In a similar vein, the verb extends beyond monetary contexts to include the accumulation of knowledge and experiences, underscoring a holistic sense of collection that can both empower and isolate its possessor [7, 8].
- The canton of Berne is the single republic in Europe which has amassed any considerable treasure.
— from An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith - This I did, and before long had amassed a considerable sum.
— from The Arabian Nights Entertainments by Andrew Lang - He labored and toiled until he had amassed 250,000 francs; six years sufficed to achieve this object.
— from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - For ten years he maintained his mastery of the market, and in that time amassed a fortune.
— from All About Coffee by William H. Ukers - As St. Simon expresses it, “he had amassed mountains of gold.”
— from Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay - The immense plunder which this villain had amassed, was buried with him in the sea, and out of the whole only one sheep was saved.
— from Candide by Voltaire - You have acquired experience; you have amassed the knowledge of a lifetime; it were a pity it should be thrown away.
— from Bracebridge Hall, or The Humorists by Washington Irving - His studies are very desultory and eccentric, but he has amassed a lot of out-of-the way knowledge which would astonish his professors.”
— from A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
