Literary notes about Wafture (AI summary)
In literature, "wafture" is often employed to evoke a sense of graceful, sweeping motion that carries both physical and ethereal connotations. It appears as a description of a deliberate gesture—such as a stern or scornful movement of the hand ([1], [2], [3], [4])—while also capturing the soft, almost intangible quality of natural phenomena like wind or light ([5], [6]). At times, it reaches into the realm of the sublime, suggesting the movement of angelic wings or even the subtle emanations of a spectral presence ([7], [8], [9]). Whether illustrating a character’s expressive gesture or imbuing the atmosphere with a mystical quality, the term enriches the imagery with its distinctive blend of physicality and otherworldly elegance ([10], [11], [12]).
- The Shape made answer none, But with stern wafture of its hand went angrier striding on, Shaking the earth with heavier steps.
— from The Irish Fairy Book - "He passed him up," on the spot, with a scornful wafture of his hand.
— from An Anarchist Woman by Hutchins Hapgood - With an angry wafture of your hand, Gave sign for me to leave you.
— from The World's Best Poetry, Volume 10: Poetical Quotations - But with an angry wafture of your hand Gave sign for me to leave you.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - A sudden wafture of wind breath, And lo, sun glories none gainsaith!
— from From the Lips of the Sea by Clinton Scollard - I had only a glimpse of him, but several times felt the cool wafture of his silent wings.
— from Lilith: A Romance by George MacDonald - Hint of suppressed halo, Rustle of hidden wings, Wafture of heavenly frankincense— Which of these things?
— from Poems with Power to Strengthen the Soul - How like the wafture of a world-wide wing It sounds and sinks, and all is hushed again!
— from Homes and Haunts of the Most Eminent British Poets, Vol. 2 (of 2) by William Howitt - That breath of extacy, that heavenly light, Flow'd from the wafture of thy angel wings, And from thy smiling eyes: divinest Power!
— from Poetry by Thomas Oldham - And with lofty wafture of the hand he took himself from the room.
— from Victor Ollnee's Discipline by Hamlin Garland - But Kenric only shook his head, with a grave smile and a quiet wafture of the hand, as if putting aside the undeserved sympathy.
— from Wager of Battle: A Tale of Saxon Slavery in Sherwood Forest by Henry William Herbert - Where it swoops, there fanning away the pride, and fame, and freedom of nations, with the wafture of its wings.
— from Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 66 No.406, August 1849 by Various