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Literary notes about Repose (AI summary)

The word "repose" in literature often conveys a multifaceted notion of rest, calm, or stillness, whether referring to the physical act of resting or an inner state of tranquility. It can mark a pause in the frenetic pace of life, as when intense excitement impedes bodily rest [1], yet it also serves to portray a literal stillness—such as an object or face rendered motionless [2, 3]. Additionally, some authors employ the term to suggest a deeper level of spiritual or emotional peace, a calm that even torments cannot disturb [4, 5]. In these varied contexts, "repose" becomes a powerful image for contrasting movement with momentary quiet and for underscoring the delicate balance between action and serenity.
  1. We were now thoroughly broken down; but the intense excitement of the time denied us repose.
    — from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 1 by Edgar Allan Poe
  2. I ventured to stretch my hand to the bonnet-grec which lay in grim repose on the window-sill.
    — from Villette by Charlotte Brontë
  3. The fever flush and the look of pain were gone, and the beloved little face looked so pale 233 and peaceful in its utter repose,
    — from Little Women; Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Louisa May Alcott
  4. This idea pursued me, and tormented me at every moment from which I might otherwise have snatched repose and peace.
    — from Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
  5. We are praying now for the repose of his soul.
    — from Ulysses by James Joyce

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