Literary notes about LEAVING (AI summary)
The word “leaving” is used in literature as an elegant operative to indicate both literal departures and the more nuanced emotional or situational consequences of that departure. In historical narratives, it marks the end of an era or the passing of a legacy, as seen when King Alver dies, leaving his sons behind [1]. In novels, the term often sets a tone for what remains in the wake of departure; for instance, Dostoyevsky describes a character leaving Sonia in a state of anxious wonder [2], while Hardy uses it to underscore moments of transition and isolation when a character’s action leaves another in uncertainty or darkness [3], [4]. Additionally, in adventure and epic tales, “leaving” signals the commencement of a journey or a strategic maneuver, such as when men depart their positions to secure a bridge [5] or when strategic retreats are detailed with clinical precision [6]. In each usage, whether marking a physical exit, an emotional void, or a pivotal moment of change, “leaving” encapsulates the notion of what is forsaken or what lingers as a consequence.
- Meantime Alver, the King of the Swedes, died leaving sons Olaf, Ing, and Ingild.
— from The Danish History, Books I-IX by Grammaticus Saxo - He went out, leaving Sonia in a state of wondering anxiety and vague apprehension.
— from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - She went in, leaving him standing there, and in her absence the blind of the room containing Bathsheba was pulled down.
— from Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy - The hectic flush was gone for the time, leaving her pale and childlike.
— from Anne of the Island by L. M. Montgomery - But these hastily retreated east across the Oconee River, leaving us a good bridge, which we promptly secured.
— from Memoirs of General William T. Sherman — Complete by William T. Sherman - Finally, the army moved, leaving a division at Cateau, and a part having been sent to the Prince de Kaunitz at Charleroi.
— from The Art of War by baron de Antoine Henri Jomini