Literary notes about Expatiate (AI summary)
Expatiate is often used by authors to indicate that a speaker or narrator is moving into an extended, detailed discussion of a subject. In literary works, this term can signal either a willingness to elaborate extensively—as when a character describes literary tastes in great detail [1]—or a deliberate choice to refrain from overindulgence in detail, as seen when the speaker declares, "I must not expatiate upon this subject" [2]. It thus functions both as a stylistic cue for verbosity and as a marker for restraint, depending on context. Classic authors sometimes use it to impose a measured pause before introducing new discussions, while in other instances it highlights the theatrical flourish of extended commentary, whether for humorous exaggeration or dramatic effect [3].