Literary notes about JOVIAL (AI summary)
In literature, the adjective "jovial" functions as a versatile descriptor of warmth, cheer, and even a touch of rustic simplicity. Writers employ it to evoke not only a character’s light-hearted, congenial nature—as seen when a lord speaks in a jovial mood [1] or a country squire is portrayed as unassumingly friendly [2]—but also to imbue settings with an air of festive conviviality, transforming a gathering into a scene of merry abandon [3, 4]. Additionally, its use can subtly underscore deeper layers of personality, hinting that beneath the outward cheer there might lie complexity or hidden irony, as noted in the contemplative observations of characters in works by Shakespeare and Balzac [5, 6].
- Arrived, said the lord in his jovial mood, 'We'll breakfast with you, if your chickens are good.
— from Fables of La Fontaine — a New Edition, with Notes by Jean de La Fontaine - He was a jovial, red-faced, easy-looking man—more like a country squire than a lawyer—and he seemed to be both surprised and amused by my application.
— from The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - That the party was intended to be a truly jovial one there was no room for doubt.
— from Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy - A jovial feast will make you sleep quietly and happily.
— from Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen by H. C. Andersen - Come on; Gently my lord, sleek o'er your rugged looks; Be bright and jovial 'mong your guests to-night.
— from Macbeth by William Shakespeare - He was the kind of man that calls forth the remark: “He looks a jovial sort!”
— from Father Goriot by Honoré de Balzac
