Literary notes about Cheer (AI summary)
The term "cheer" in literature is versatile, often embodying both the notion of lighthearted festivity and the act of uplifting spirits. It appears in works ranging from ancient texts to modern narratives, sometimes as an invitation to relax and enjoy life, as when one is urged to "eat, drink, make good cheer" ([1]) and at other times as a gentle command to "cheer up" in moments of distress ([2], [3]). In festive contexts, it signals communal joy and celebration—whether in the hearty merriment of a gathering ([4], [5]) or the exultant shouts of camaraderie ([6], [7]). Additionally, its usage can extend to metaphorical and emotional encouragement, providing comfort and solace to characters facing hardship ([8], [9], [10]). In these varied contexts, "cheer" clearly serves as a linguistic bridge between external celebration and internal fortitude.
- Take thy rest: eat, drink, make good cheer.
— from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete - But before he went to school he thumped his sister between the shoulders and told her to cheer up.
— from The Railway Children by E. Nesbit - “Well, Agafea Mihalovna, is the jam done?” said Levin, smiling to Agafea Mihalovna, and trying to cheer her up.
— from Anna Karenina by graf Leo Tolstoy - We had a good venison pasty and other good cheer, and as merry as in so good, innocent, and understanding company I could be.
— from The Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete by Samuel Pepys - The guests were seated at a table which groaned under the quantity of good cheer.
— from Ivanhoe: A Romance by Walter Scott - “One more cheer for Cap'n Smollett,” cried Long John when the first had subsided.
— from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson - At this the children could not resist raising a cheer.
— from Peter and Wendy by J. M. Barrie - But the good old woman appeared again, and when she learnt the cause of her grief, she said, "Be of good cheer, my child.
— from Household Tales by Brothers Grimm by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm - Besides, I wished to touch no deep-thrilling chord—to open no fresh well of emotion in his heart: my sole present aim was to cheer him.
— from Jane Eyre: An Autobiography by Charlotte Brontë - Then Dido, with downcast face, briefly speaks: 'Cheer your anxious hearts, O Teucrians; put by your care.
— from The Aeneid of Virgil by Virgil
