Literary notes about Intangible (AI summary)
Authors use the word “intangible” to evoke elements that defy physical grasp yet resonate powerfully in human experience. It conveys that which is felt rather than seen—the spiritual essence of divinity ([1]), the elusiveness of dreams ([2]), or the subtle bonds of emotional intimacy that create a nearly mystical connection between people ([3], [4]). Moreover, intangible is often employed to describe overwhelming internal states—be it uneasiness, dread, or creative inspiration—that, while unnoticed by the senses, have real consequences for the characters’ lives ([5], [6]). In this way, the term bridges the gap between the visible and the unseen, imbuing abstract concepts with a palpable, if ephemeral, presence ([7], [8]).
- God is all things tangible and intangible…he is Everything.
— from Through These Eyes The courageous struggle to find meaning in a life stressed with cancer by Lauren Ann Isaacson - Of the first one can say nothing—dreams are fragile, intangible.
— from Going Afoot: A book on walking. by Bayard Henderson Christy - With your friend, speech and silence are one; for a communion mysterious and intangible reaches across from heart to heart.
— from The Wit and Humor of America, Volume IV. (of X.) - And yet? - Across every fresh pathway she turned her thoughts along, was still that arresting, intangible, "and yet".
— from Winding Paths by Gertrude Page - A certain intangible memento, it is true, burned upon her cheek, so that she was glad to bury it in the cool sheets.
— from The Rhymer by Allan McAulay - Vita's hasty return to the house was inspired by an intangible dread.
— from The Men Who Wrought by Ridgwell Cullum - All was intangible, a burning of cold, glimmering, whitish-steely fires.
— from The Rainbow by D. H. Lawrence - There is an essence formless, colourless, intangible, perceived by the mind only, dwelling in the region of true knowledge.
— from Phaedrus by Plato
