Literary notes about Shrill (AI summary)
In literature, the term “shrill” is frequently employed to convey a sense of high-pitched intensity that can denote both urgent alarm and piercing emotional expression. It is often used to describe voices imbued with a biting, sharp quality that accentuates a character’s emotional state—as when a character’s repeated inquiry is rendered in a disturbed, high-pitched tone [1] or when a commanding figure issues orders with a precise, piercing quality [2]. At times, “shrill” extends beyond human speech to evoke the cutting notes of musical instruments or natural sounds that create an atmosphere of tension or unease, such as the bell’s reverberations [3] or even the dissonant chorus of voices in a tumultuous crowd [4]. This layered usage underscores the versatility of the word, as it simultaneously captures the physical properties of sound and its ability to reflect an inner emotional or situational extremity [5][6].
- “You are what?” he repeated in a shrill voice.
— from The innocence of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton - Say that again," cried Mr. Smallweed in a shrill, sharp voice.
— from Bleak House by Charles Dickens - The bell sounds with shrill reverberations , and phipps enters .]
— from An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde - Their voices were horribly shrill and discordant.
— from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - I tapped at the door, and a little shrill voice inside said, "We are locked in.
— from Bleak House by Charles Dickens - Shrill flaring gas-jets, dulled and distorted in the fly-blown mirrors that faced them, were ranged round the walls.
— from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
