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Literary notes about Repentant (AI summary)

The term “repentant” in literature frequently conveys a sense of deep remorse or contrition, whether in religious, moral, or even ironic contexts. It is often used to describe characters who express their guilt through sorrowful tears or subdued tones, as when a figure’s lament is marked by “repentant tears” or a softened, apologetic voice ([1], [2], [3]). In other instances, the word underscores the paradox of power and humility, as in descriptions of great men or sovereigns who, despite their might, adopt a stance of contrition ([4], [5]). At times, "repentant" carries a satirical edge—employed to critique those who feign remorse or use their penitence for personal or political advantage ([6], [7]). Collectively, this diverse usage enriches literary narratives by capturing the multifaceted nature of guilt, forgiveness, and the human capacity for change ([8], [9], [10]).
  1. Now from the Pulpit to the peoples eares, Whose speech shall send repentant sighes, and teares?
    — from The Poems of John Donne, Volume 1 (of 2) by John Donne
  2. She sat down at her desk feeling ashamed, repentant, and bitterly mortified.
    — from Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery
  3. “I wish now I’d thought,” said Tom, with a repentant tone; “but I dreamt about you, anyway.
    — from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete by Mark Twain
  4. France is holding forth repentant arms to her banished sovereign.
    — from The Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. Yellowplush by William Makepeace Thackeray
  5. A little, not much; now pricking, now negotiating: for Brunswick has his eyes opened; and the Majesty of Prussia is a repentant Majesty.
    — from The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle
  6. It is always there—the notion of cheating people, and of using my repentant tears to my own advantage!
    — from The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  7. A tender laugh of benevolence lighted up old Dobbin's face and eyes as he looked at the repentant little prodigal.
    — from Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
  8. But it seems to me that the only cure for sin is for the sinner to confess it, and to be visibly repentant in regard to it.
    — from The Anabasis of Alexander by Arrian
  9. See else yourself: There is no malice in this burning coal; The breath of heaven hath blown his spirit out, And strew'd repentant ashes on his head.
    — from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
  10. There will be more joy in heaven over the tear-bathed face of a repentant sinner than over the white robes of a hundred just men.
    — from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

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