Literary notes about Commiseration (AI summary)
In literature, the term "commiseration" is often employed to convey a shared expression of pity and empathetic sorrow for another’s misfortune. Writers use it to depict moments of deep emotional connection—whether it is the tender reassurance offered in a time of distress [1] or the subtle transformation of grief into something more nuanced, as when suffering evolves into a fervid, almost passionate sentiment [2]. Its usage spans a range of contexts, from the formal, almost dignified lament in historical narratives [3] to the ironic or bittersweet acknowledgment of personal weakness and regret [4][5]. At times, commiseration expresses a societal call for empathy toward misfortune, hinting at a broader moral or emotional solidarity [6][7], while in other instances it highlights individual vulnerability and the inherent complexity of human relationships [8][9]. This multifaceted term serves as a literary tool, enabling authors to deepen character interactions and evoke moods that oscillate between compassion, melancholy, and at times, a tacit critique of the inevitability of fate [10][11].
- "Courage," the monk murmured, with a tender commiseration, "courage, my daughter, above man there is God.
— from The Buccaneer Chief: A Romance of the Spanish Main by Gustave Aimard - Commiseration had finally developed the vehemence of a love affair.
— from Mare Nostrum (Our Sea): A Novel by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez - Jupiter, in commiseration of his death, sent birds to grace his funeral, that perpetually chanted certain mournful and bewailing dirges.
— from Bacon's Essays, and Wisdom of the Ancients by Francis Bacon - Eat hearty, and may it well agree with you," she said, with a compound of deep commiseration, reverence, and disdain.
— from The Rise of David Levinsky by Abraham Cahan - e inside of his wrists while this commiseration was bestowed upon him, and performed some affecting tears and sniffs.
— from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens - There was much commiseration for her as she was removed, and much sympathy with her father.
— from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - He rose and walked slowly into the sitting-room, followed by his daughter and a murmur of commiseration from his wife.
— from A First Family of Tasajara by Bret Harte - She looked into her lover’s face and saw in it a look of commiseration and perplexity.
— from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy - Madam de Warens, seeing her endeavors would be fruitless, became less explicit, and only added, with an air of commiseration, “Poor child!
— from The Confessions of Jean Jacques Rousseau — Complete by Jean-Jacques Rousseau - But what would formerly have been an intolerable affliction has become commiseration, pity.
— from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant - Do not impute it to obstinacy or disdain that I do not, according to the custom, supplicate and go about to move you to commiseration.
— from Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Complete by Michel de Montaigne