Literary notes about Clap (AI summary)
The word "clap" serves a variety of roles in literature, ranging from its literal sense to rich metaphorical connotations. In several works it captures the spontaneous act of applause and communal celebration—invoking the image of hands coming together in joyous approval ([1], [2], [3]). In other passages, it is imbued with dramatic force, evoking sudden, powerful occurrences like a clap of thunder that marks pivotal moments or shifts in the narrative ([4], [5], [6]). Additionally, "clap" is sometimes employed more figuratively to punctuate actions or enforce commands, heightening both tension and theatricality ([7], [8], [9]). Overall, its multifaceted usage allows writers to shape mood and amplify the impact of their scenes.
- The very populace were captivated by it, and began to clap their hands, crying,— “Noel! Noel!”
— from Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo - All the guests began to clap, and my fair neighbour blushed with pleasure.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - To dance, clap hands, exult, shout, skip, leap, roll on, float on!
— from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman - The moment each had crossed the threshold a clap of thunder had resounded, and a mysterious sword, moving with lightning rapidity, had slain him.
— from Myths and Legends of China by E. T. C. Werner - “At the same moment, and in the midst of the terrifying silence which usually follows a clap of thunder, they heard a knocking at the door.
— from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - There was a clap of thunder, and the rain came down like a waterfall.
— from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - To hear him!” cried my sister, with a clap of her hands and a scream together,—which was her next stage.
— from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - Let's have the shutters up,' cried old Fezziwig, with a sharp clap of his hands, 'before a man can say Jack Robinson!'
— from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - If you'll come up one by one, unarmed, I'll engage to clap you all in irons and take you home to a fair trial in England.
— from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
