Literary notes about Guide (AI summary)
The word "guide" in literary works carries multiple layers of meaning, ranging from literal assistance in navigation to symbolic moral or spiritual leadership. In epic poetry, for instance, it can denote a divine or heroic leader directing a character’s journey—whether through physical paths or the realm of fate—as seen when gods or reason itself assume the role of guardian ([1], [2], [3]). In adventure narratives, the guide appears as a practical figure who uncovers secret passages or leads travelers through unknown terrains ([4], [5], [6]). Meanwhile, in philosophical and reflective texts, the term evolves into a metaphor for inner counsel or ethical principles that shape a person’s actions and destiny ([7], [8]). This rich versatility ensures that "guide" remains a powerful and enduring motif throughout literature.
- Antenor's sons the fourth battalion guide, And great Æneas, born on fountful Ide.
— from The Iliad by Homer - My words shall dictate, and my lips shall guide.
— from The Odyssey by Homer - He that in all things doth follow reason for his guide.
— from Meditations by Emperor of Rome Marcus Aurelius - My guide drew aside one of the tapestries, disclosing a passage which encircled the room, between the hangings and the walls of the chamber.
— from A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs - “Follow me, sir;” and without ascending the stairs the guide conducted him by a subterraneous passage to another entrance.
— from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - You better get a guide book and read about the temples of Kyoto, as they are too numerous to tell about in letters.
— from Letters from China and Japan by Harriet Alice Chipman Dewey and John Dewey - Then of two good and useful things, one, which is knowledge, has been set aside, and cannot be supposed to be our guide in political life.
— from Meno by Plato - Let his conscience and virtue be eminently manifest in his speaking, and have only reason for their guide.
— from Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Complete by Michel de Montaigne