Literary notes about Velvet (AI summary)
Literary authors deploy "velvet" as both a literal material and a metaphor for richness and refinement. It frequently appears as an emblem of lavish attire and sumptuous furnishings, evoking a tactile sense of softness and opulence; for instance, characters are often seen donning velvet hats, capes, or coats that signal their high station or distinct personality [1, 2, 3]. At times, velvet is used to convey atmospheric comfort, as in descriptions of bed coverings and luxurious rooms that invite the reader to feel both warmth and intimacy [4, 5]. Moreover, its application extends beyond clothing into symbolic realms—suggesting transformation or transient beauty, while accentuating contrasts between physical softness and emotional weight [6, 7, 8]. This versatile use of "velvet" enriches narratives by offering a sensory layer of detail and an undercurrent of symbolic meaning.
- She wore a flame-colored velvet frock and her curly hair was tucked into a golden net.
— from The Gay Cockade by Temple Bailey - However, at nine o’clock the prince, in his velvet coat with a sable collar and cap, went out for his usual walk.
— from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy - A crimson velvet robe, and a shawl turban of some gold-wrought Indian fabric, invested her (I suppose she thought) with a truly imperial dignity.
— from Jane Eyre: An Autobiography by Charlotte Brontë - It was the sweetest little room in the world, with a soft, comfortable bed that had sheets of green silk and a green velvet counterpane.
— from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum - There was a red velvet footstool in the best parlour, on which my mother had painted a nosegay.
— from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens - their horns have obtained their full growth but have not yet shed the velvet or skin which covers them.
— from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis - He pulled out from the bottom a palm-wood box lined with red velvet, and from it took out a pair of smart and very expensive pistols.
— from The possessed : by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - However, he came and paid his visit dressed in his black velvet coat.
— from Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen by H. C. Andersen
