Literary notes about Signal (AI summary)
In literature, the word "signal" is used both in a literal sense to denote a visual or auditory cue and in a metaphorical sense to mark significant transitions or convey hidden meaning. For example, authors like Conan Doyle and Verne employ it to denote a specific, observable prompt—a hand gesture or a whistle—that initiates action or indicates an imminent event [1, 2, 3]. At times it embodies a broader symbolic gesture, representing providence or fate as seen in historical narratives and epic poetry, where a single signal can alter the course of events or mark a decisive moment [4, 5, 6]. Whether serving as a cue for battle, a call to assemble, or simply a marker of time and circumstance, "signal" functions as a pivotal literary device that enhances narrative tension and guides the reader through shifting moods and actions [7, 8, 9].
- I saw the signal clear enough, and yet I couldn't tell you why.
— from The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle - Captain Nemo gave us a hand signal.
— from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: An Underwater Tour of the World by Jules Verne - Was it a signal?
— from Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne - and how signal have been his deliverance and preservation in the midst of a nation of pitiless enemies!
— from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass - This wondrous signal Jove himself displays, Of long, long labours, but eternal praise.
— from The Iliad by Homer - “They have given the signal at last!” cried the Pharisee——-“they have given the signal at last!
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe - Presently Mr. Eager gave a signal for the carriages to stop and marshalled the party for their ramble on the hill.
— from A Room with a View by E. M. Forster - I shall have given the signal to attack.
— from French Conversation and Composition by Harry Vincent Wann - The sentinels on guard perceived them; the army was called up, and the signal being given they ran to arms.
— from The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08 by Livy
