Literary notes about Blast (AI summary)
The word "blast" is used in literature to evoke an overwhelming, often sudden force—whether physical, emotional, or symbolic. In many works, it portrays violent natural phenomena, such as a windstorm or hurricane that shatters stillness ([1], [2], [3]), while in others it serves as a metaphor for the disruptive power of human emotion or fate, as when a character uses it in a forceful command or outburst ([4], [5]). At moments, a trumpet- or bugle-blast functions as a dramatic signal, marking new beginnings or grave announcements ([6], [7]), and elsewhere the term encapsulates the impact of relentless criticism or societal judgment ([8], [9]). Overall, its varied use enriches the narrative by imbibing scenes with dynamic, sometimes cataclysmic energy.
- The sun had set some time; the wind seemed to have lulled off after that furious blast which tore up the tree.
— from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell - “The jet blast will fry him when we take off.”
— from The Lani People by Jesse F. Bone - The blast smelt of icebergs, arctic seas, whales, and white bears, carrying the snow so that it licked the land but did not deepen on it.
— from Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman by Thomas Hardy - Blast my eyes if the postman isn’t looking for you!
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - "No, blast you; I want you to hold your tongue."
— from The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham - A prolonged trumpet-blast followed, and a proclamation, “Way for the high and mighty the Lord Edward, Prince of Wales!”
— from The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain - There was a pause, then a ringing bugle-blast, which was the signal for us to come forth.
— from A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain - For the blast of the mighty is like a whirlwind beating against a wall.
— from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete - But artifice was necessary, he had found, for stemming the cold and inhumane blast of the world's contempt.
— from Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy