Literary notes about Demise (AI summary)
The term "demise" is employed in literature as a refined and multifaceted expression that extends beyond a mere statement of death. It marks the end not only of an individual's life—as in the sudden loss of a character or historical figure ([1], [2], [3])—but also symbolizes the conclusion of eras, regimes, or institutions, as seen in references to the fall of empires and the collapse of old orders ([4], [5], [6]). Sometimes its usage takes on a poetic or even ironic tone, serving to heighten the dramatic impact of personal tragedies or shifts in fortune ([7], [8]). Whether indicating the inevitable cessation of life or the broader disintegration of societal constructs, the word enriches narratives by imbuing them with an air of finality and gravitas ([9], [10], [11]).
- It was only after the demise of the archduchess that Empress Elizabeth first realized in their full measure the joys of motherhood.
— from The Secret Memoirs of the Courts of Europe: William II, Germany; Francis Joseph, Austria-Hungary, Volume I. (of 2) by marquise de Fontenoy - His demise was quite unexpected, as he continued in ordinary health until Tuesday night.
— from Sketches in Crude-oil Some accidents and incidents of the petroleum development in all parts of the globe by John J. (John James) McLaurin - "When a mortal passes over," Mr. Demise said, "there is always an agent of Death present superintending the details.
— from Death Makes a Mistake by William P. McGivern - Rome's demise as a world power was followed by centuries of quietude—The Dark Ages.
— from Civilization and Beyond: Learning from History by Scott Nearing - The history of the new courthouse at Marlborough has already been recounted, its final demise occurring about 1718.
— from The Cultural History of Marlborough, Virginia An Archeological and Historical Investigation of the Port Town for Stafford County and the Plantation of John Mercer, Including Data Supplied by Frank M. Setzler and Oscar H. Darter by C. Malcolm Watkins - Much later, at the demise of Seleucus, the Antiochus who spent some time as a hostage in Rome became king.
— from Dio's Rome, Volume 1 by Cassius Dio Cocceianus - The felicitous word "demise," which had seasonably occurred to him, had raised his spirits even above their usual evening pitch.
— from Middlemarch by George Eliot - Flatter my sorrow with report of it; Tell me what state, what dignity, what honour, Canst thou demise to any child of mine?
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - The reign of wit and pleasantry did not, however, cease at the Bedford at the demise of the Inspector .
— from All About Coffee by William H. Ukers - After the demise of the Jung duke, the eldest son, Chia Tai-shan, inherited the rank.
— from Hung Lou Meng, or, the Dream of the Red Chamber, a Chinese Novel, Book I by Xueqin Cao - We need not wait for our total death to experience dying; we need not borrow from observation of others' demise a prophecy of our own extinction.
— from The Life of Reason: The Phases of Human Progress by George Santayana
