Literary notes about Promenade (AI summary)
In literary works the term "promenade" conveys more than a mere walk—it symbolizes elegance, ritual, and reflection. Authors use it to paint vivid scenes of leisurely strolls in settings ranging from bustling urban promenades and tranquil park paths to the corridors of grand social events [1], [2], [3]. Its employment often hints at both the physical act of walking and a metaphorical journey toward introspection, as seen when a character paces with reflective thoughts or partakes in ceremonious duties [4], [5]. Moreover, the word can infuse a sense of whimsy or refined decorum, enhancing the atmosphere with its dual role as a public thoroughfare and a backdrop for human interaction [6], [7].
- 'Say, Colonel,' said he, 'why not take Madame for a little promenade?
— from Dracula's Guest by Bram Stoker - Then she became very curious on the matter, and one day, while on the promenade, she entered into conversation with the strange gentleman.
— from Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen by H. C. Andersen - One must never smoke in a public place, where ladies are or might be, for instance, a flower-show or promenade.
— from The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness by Cecil B. Hartley - I begin my promenade—thinking of all kinds of distant things and persons, and of nothing near—and pace up and down for half-an-hour.
— from American Notes by Charles Dickens - A marriage should be royal and chimerical; it should promenade its ceremony from the cathedral of Rheims to the pagoda of Chanteloup.
— from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo - His hat presents at the rims a peculiar appearance of a glistening nature, as if it had been a favourite snail-promenade.
— from Bleak House by Charles Dickens - Though the two women did not know it these external features were but the ancient defences of the town, planted as a promenade.
— from The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
