Literary notes about Probing (AI summary)
The term "probing" in literature is employed in a variety of nuanced ways, often connoting a deep, investigative effort that can be both literal and metaphorical. It may describe a gentle yet persistent quest for emotional or personal truths, as when one character subtly examines another’s feelings through careful observation [1, 2, 3]. In contrast, it also appears in technical or clinical contexts, where it denotes a precise, methodical physical examination—whether in the scrutiny of wounds or the exploration of hidden spaces [4, 5, 6]. Additionally, authors use "probing" to evoke an exploratory journey into the mysteries of existence or the human soul, suggesting both vulnerability and determination in the face of uncertainty [7, 8, 9].
- She found herself that afternoon, when she and Helen were alone at tea, sounding her, probing her, for reassuring symptoms of warmth or affection.
— from Franklin Kane by Anne Douglas Sedgwick - "It is just what I want," he fairly pleaded now, as their probing eyes met like those of two earnest children.
— from The Hills of Refuge: A Novel by Will N. (Will Nathaniel) Harben - Their eyes were probing her mercilessly but with a brave effort she sparkled back in sympathy as she glanced at her new conquest for them to see.
— from Ulysses by James Joyce - The ear probe seems to have been much used for probing wounds and fistulae when a very slender instrument was required.
— from Surgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Times by John Stewart Milne - That the bone has been reached by the penetrating object may be detected by probing.
— from Diseases of the Horse's Foot by H. Caulton (Harry Caulton) Reeks - "Cut an inch deeper," said a member of the Old Guard to the surgeon probing his wound, "and you will find the Emperor,"—meaning his heart.
— from Pushing to the Front by Orison Swett Marden - Almost every day the panels in the lounge were open for some hours, and our eyes never tired of probing the mysteries of the underwater world.
— from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: An Underwater Tour of the World by Jules Verne - He cannot prevent himself from probing and lacerating the wound in his soul.
— from Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth by A. C. Bradley - No one looked at her, no one seemed aware of her presence; she was probing the very depths of insignificance.
— from The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
