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Literary notes about PUTRID (AI summary)

In literature, "putrid" is employed with notable versatility to evoke intense sensory disgust and to underscore themes of decay, corruption, and degradation. It frequently describes physical decomposition and the deterioration of organic substances, as when blister contents are said to become putrid from microbial activity ([1]) or water takes on a briny, putrid taste ([2]). Beyond its literal use, the term also amplifies the horror of degenerative forces, as in narratives where the end of a gruesome ordeal is marked by the cessation of a putrid horror ([3]) or when bodily decay is mirrored in the moral decline of characters ([4]). Through such vivid applications, writers ensure that "putrid" not only conjures images of rotting matter but also becomes a potent metaphor for the corruption inherent in both nature and society.
  1. This is just what the microbes like, and they will rapidly render the contents of the blister putrid.
    — from The Girl's Own Paper, Vol. XX. No. 1004, March 25, 1899 by Various
  2. The water of Lake Van is charged with chemical matter, and is briny and putrid to the taste.
    — from Armenia, Travels and Studies (Volume 2 of 2) The Turkish Provinces by H. F. B. (Harry Finnis Blosse) Lynch
  3. We had to do it, and we are glad the putrid horror is over.
    — from Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil by W. E. B. Du Bois
  4. How base and putrid, every common matter is!
    — from Meditations by Emperor of Rome Marcus Aurelius

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