Literary notes about Eye (AI summary)
In literature, the word “eye” assumes a remarkably versatile role that spans both the literal and the symbolic. It may describe a powerful, all-seeing quality—as when a “clear eye” surveys vast lands and kingdoms [1]—or it can embody a malevolent force, as with an “evil eye” that casts dark enchantments [2]. Beyond its physical function, the term often conveys insight and personal judgment, allowing characters to “read” truth or emotion directly through another’s gaze [3] [4]. At times, the eye is a marker of intense feeling and focused observation, illustrated by phrases like “an eye of fire” that suggests both passion and danger [5]. Through such varied depictions, the eye emerges as a potent symbol of perception, internally reflective vision, and the broader human experience.
- that morning star Of re-arisen England, whose clear eye Saw from our tottering throne and waste of war
— from Poems, with The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde - That owld hag, Mrs. R——, bewitched it with her evil eye.”
— from Roughing It in the Bush by Susanna Moodie - Iago hath direction what to do; But notwithstanding with my personal eye Will I look to't.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - “I read it in your eye; it is not of that description which promises the maintenance of an even tenor in life.”
— from Jane Eyre: An Autobiography by Charlotte Brontë - “Who told you truth?” said Morley, springing to her side, in a hoarse voice and with an eye of fire.
— from Sybil, Or, The Two Nations by Earl of Beaconsfield Benjamin Disraeli
