Literary notes about Divulge (AI summary)
In literature, “divulge” is often used to signal the act of revealing secrets that have been carefully concealed, thereby heightening tension or altering the course of events. Authors frequently portray characters who hesitate to divulge information that might expose hidden truths or personal vulnerabilities, as seen when a stray comment leads to unforeseen consequences [1] or when the mystery of a stolen object is about to be unveiled [2]. At other times, the word underscores the gravity of keeping confidences, illustrating dilemmas where a character’s choice to divulge can trigger betrayal or irrevocably change relationships [3, 4, 5]. This careful use of “divulge” enriches narratives by balancing the allure of disclosure against the risks of exposing what was meant to remain secret.
- Perhaps it is tell-tale to divulge that for a moment Hook entranced her, and we tell on her only because her slip led to strange results.
— from Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie - He thought, and I thought, that she was about to divulge the mystery of the Moonstone.
— from The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - Yet here I hardly know whether I should divulge one little item of rumor, which came to my ear a few months after the scrivener's decease.
— from Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street by Herman Melville - The art I practise is a secret known to the Immortals only: how can I divulge it to you?”
— from Myths and Legends of China by E. T. C. Werner - Why would she not believe me when I assured her, so solemnly, that I would not divulge one syllable of what she told me to any mortal breathing.
— from Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
