Literary notes about Yearling (AI summary)
The term "yearling" has been employed with a range of nuances in literature, serving both as a precise descriptor of age and as a vivid metaphor for youth and spirited energy. In some contexts, it retains its literal sense, as seen when a young deer is specified in [1] or when Hardy uses it to designate ewes in [2], highlighting the reality of animal husbandry and the natural cycle of life. Meanwhile, authors like Howard Pyle extend the term's reach by employing it in similes—comparing a character’s graceful movement to that of a "yearling doe" in [3] and evoking youthful vulnerability and feisty determination by likening oneself to a "yearling lamb" in [4]. This blending of literal and metaphorical usage enriches the narrative, imbuing the animals with qualities that mirror human emotions and experiences.
- At last they killed a yearling deer and tied a very long white string to it.
— from Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney - At last he felt cold, and shaking an extra quantity of bedding round the yearling ewes he entered the hut and heaped more fuel upon the stove.
— from Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy - It was only a week ago I saw him skipping across the hill like a yearling doe.
— from The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle - At most times I am as a yearling lamb, but when one cometh between me and my meat, I am a raging lion, as it were.
— from The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
