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Literary notes about Surfeit (AI summary)

The term “surfeit” in literature often conveys an excessive abundance that tips from delight into discomfort or decay. Authors use it to portray both literal overconsumption and a metaphorical saturation of ideas or emotions. For instance, it is used to describe the physical implications of overindulgence—as when a character suffers ill effects from too much food or drink [1] or faces the tragic consequences of overindulgence in sensual pleasures [2]—while simultaneously serving as a symbol of an overwhelming glut in more abstract contexts, such as the surplus of wealth or intellectual input that leaves one weary [3][4]. Its flexible application allows “surfeit” to effectively embody the notion that even blessing or abundance, when taken too far, can lead to adverse effects.
  1. He felt a loss of appetite from surfeit, and his energy itself decreased and sickness afflicted him.
    — from The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1
  2. 'Tis but a surfeit; never fear, man. FAUSTUS.
    — from The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
  3. His art, more than the art of feudalism as Walt Whitman called it, is the art of surfeit.
    — from Ulysses by James Joyce
  4. Others are checked by a feeling of surfeit or disgust, which they obey or not as they are wise or unwise.
    — from Wear and Tear; Or, Hints for the Overworked by S. Weir (Silas Weir) Mitchell

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