Literary notes about Palpable (AI summary)
In literature, the word "palpable" is employed to evoke a quality of immediacy and tangible presence that transcends the purely physical realm. It frequently describes sensations, emotions, or evidences that seem almost touchable—a trait highlighted in discussions ranging from theological proofs to dramatic contradictions. For instance, it is used to lend concrete weight to abstract notions, as in the solid prophecies cited in religious discourse [1] or the intense, almost bodily emotional excitements described on the page [2]. Moreover, the term appears in contexts where the atmosphere itself becomes a character, with environments rendered so vividly real that even the silence seems to gather substance [3]. This versatility allows "palpable" to enrich narrative detail, ensuring that the reader can sense, as much as imagine, the weight of an idea or moment.
- But in proof of Jesus Christ we have the prophecies, which are solid and palpable proofs.
— from Pascal's Pensées by Blaise Pascal - To me they stood in the place of an active career, of ambition, and those palpable excitements necessary to the multitude.
— from The Last Man by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley - The silence of the studio seemed to gather body, so that it became an almost palpable presence.
— from The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham
