Literary notes about Prophesy (AI summary)
The word “prophesy” has been employed across literature with a remarkable versatility, ranging from lofty religious declarations to more mundane or even ironic predictions. In sacred texts and ancient narratives, such as in [1] and [2]/[3], it denotes a divine utterance—commanding, revelatory, and often tied to the unfolding of predetermined destinies. In contrast, authors like Charles Dickens ([4]) and Oscar Wilde ([5]) use the term to introduce a thoughtful yet sometimes tongue-in-cheek forecast of events, highlighting a more human and fallible aspect of foretelling. Furthermore, works by Frazer ([6], [7]) and Santayana ([8], [9]) extend its usage to contexts of ritual and reasoning, blending the mystical with the empirical. This rich tapestry of meanings illustrates how “prophesy” functions both as a marker of transcendental insight and as a literary tool for exploring the uncertainty of the future.
- Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.
— from The Doré Bible Gallery, Complete - " Chapter XIV - The earliest prophesy of the coming of Christ.
— from The First Book of Adam and Eve by Rutherford Hayes Platt - Chapter XIV - The earliest prophesy of the coming of Christ.
— from The First Book of Adam and Eve by Rutherford Hayes Platt - “With pleasure,” said he, “though I venture to prophesy that you'll want very few hints.
— from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - Did he not prophesy it?
— from Salomé: A Tragedy in One Act by Oscar Wilde - At Aegira in Achaia the priestess of Earth drank the fresh blood of a bull before she descended into the cave to prophesy.
— from The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion by James George Frazer - Then he is dragged away from it by force and set on a chair, whereupon he begins to prophesy how the rice-crop will turn out that year.
— from The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion by James George Frazer - They take note, infer, and prophesy.
— from The Life of Reason: The Phases of Human Progress by George Santayana - To prophesy a check would be impossible but for an incipient movement already meeting an incipient arrest.
— from The Life of Reason: The Phases of Human Progress by George Santayana