Literary notes about Sensitive (AI summary)
Literary authors employ the word “sensitive” to evoke multiple layers of meaning, ranging from physical vulnerability to emotional acuity. In one work, a tender part of the body is described as being extraordinarily sensitive to blows [1], while elsewhere characters are portrayed with a warm, thoughtful quality that makes them deeply perceptive of beauty and emotion [2][3]. At times, sensitivity underscores a predisposition to flattery or criticism, revealing a character’s inner fragility and responsiveness to the world around them [4][5]. In other texts, the term is used to articulate a profound emotional reaction to art or life’s hardships, as when a character’s spirit is depicted as quivering with delicate responsiveness [6][7]. Overall, “sensitive” becomes a versatile descriptor that enriches narrative tone and deepens character portrayal, whether by highlighting physical delicacy or a refined, inner perceptiveness [8].
- "My son," the doctor cried, "There is no part so sensitive to blows.
— from The Fables of La Fontaine by Jean de La Fontaine - His blue eyes were full of light, twinkling and sensitive, his manner was deliberate, but hearty, warm.
— from The Rainbow by D. H. Lawrence - And she looked and spoke—the little Polly of Bretton—petulant, sensitive.
— from Villette by Charlotte Brontë - I had already observed that he was as sensitive to flattery on the score of his art as any girl could be of her beauty.
— from A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle - But he was not as yet case-hardened to ingratitude, and was always highly sensitive to caricature and hostile criticism.
— from Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812 by Emperor of the French Napoleon I - “Oh,” the girl said, in a faint, far voice, and he noticed the shock in her sensitive face.
— from Martin Eden by Jack London - Perhaps I was over sensitive to such impressions at the time, but I could not help staring at this gallows with a vague misgiving.
— from Moby Dick; Or, The Whale by Herman Melville - He, the sensitive, tender Prince Andrew, how could he say that, before her whom he loved and who loved him?
— from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy