Literary notes about Incisive (AI summary)
In literary works, "incisive" is used to evoke a sense of sharp clarity and penetrating insight, whether describing a character’s direct manner of speech or the analytical quality of a writer’s prose. Authors often use the term to highlight not just how words are spoken or written, but also their ability to cut through pretense and reveal underlying truths, as when a character’s tone decisively shifts a conversation [1] or when criticism is delivered with unyielding precision [2]. The term can refer to both the speed and clarity of thought in dialogue [3] and the vibrant, rhythmic force of a musical or poetic passage [4], underscoring an intellectual and stylistic prowess that resonates across genres [5].
- It was he who at once, in an incisive and positive tone, opened the conversation.
— from The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - Meredith, who had been one of Yetta's favorites rather weakened under his incisive criticism.
— from Comrade Yetta by Albert Edwards - His voice, while pleasing to the ear, was vibrant with life and energy, and he spoke with the incisive directness of one accustomed to command.
— from Astounding Stories of Super-Science, March 1930 by Various - In the finale the old Prokofieff is back in a brilliant Rondo of incisive rhythms and flashing melodic fragments.
— from Serge Prokofieff and His Orchestral Music by Louis Leopold Biancolli - He had not recovered thoroughly as yet from that state of bewilderment brought about by the effort to follow Mr Vladimir’s rapid incisive utterance.
— from The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale by Joseph Conrad
