Literary notes about Zenith (AI summary)
Writers use “zenith” to evoke both literal and metaphorical peaks. In some works, it denotes the highest point in the sky—the moment when the sun or moon reaches its apex, creating a striking natural image [1], [2], [3]. In other texts, the term conveys the climax of human endeavors, whether referring to the pinnacle of power, personal success, or influence [4], [5], [6], [7]. Additionally, “Zenith” can function as a place name, symbolizing a community’s stature or modernity [8], [9], [10]. This layered usage enriches the narrative, drawing a parallel between celestial heights and moments of ultimate achievement [11].
- The moon could not be seen at all, being nearly in my zenith.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 1 by Edgar Allan Poe - The moon shone in the midst of the constellations at their zenith.
— from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: An Underwater Tour of the World by Jules Verne - A few minutes before the sun passed its zenith, Captain Nemo raised his sextant and took his sights with the utmost precision.
— from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: An Underwater Tour of the World by Jules Verne - But withal there is no zenith of values, but only a zenith of power.
— from The Will to Power: An Attempted Transvaluation of All Values. Book III and IV by Nietzsche - That first audience with the King marked the zenith of my hastily adopted career at Dresden; thenceforward anxiety reasserted itself in manifold ways.
— from My Life — Volume 1 by Richard Wagner - It was the time when the youthful Speránski was at the zenith of his fame and his reforms were being pushed forward with the greatest energy.
— from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy - The zenith of a people ("its culture") regarded as the result of high moral excellence.
— from The Will to Power: An Attempted Transvaluation of All Values. Book I and II by Nietzsche - Seneca Doane, though he was a lawyer and a graduate of the State University, was candidate for mayor of Zenith on an alarming labor ticket.
— from Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis - In Zenith it is impossible to lunch with a neighbor's wife without the fact being known, before nightfall, in every house in your circle.
— from Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis - When Ted had returned to Zenith, Babbitt was lonely.
— from Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis - The zenith of development: the grand style.
— from The Will to Power: An Attempted Transvaluation of All Values. Book III and IV by Nietzsche
