Literary notes about absence (AI summary)
In literature, absence is a versatile term that authors deploy to evoke both tangible and intangible voids. At times it marks a physical departure that alters the narrative flow—such as a leader’s temporary removal from power [1] or a character’s unexplained disappearance that unsettles others [2]—while in other contexts it embodies an emotional or symbolic lack. It may emphasize the loss of essential qualities or reinforce a character’s inner void, as when the lack of passionate expression alters one’s sense of self [3] or deepens the ache of missing a cherished presence [4]. In many cases, the deliberate use of absence not only heightens suspense but also invites readers to reflect on the poignant interplay between what is present and what is lost, enriching both character development and thematic depth [5][6][7][8].
- So he set sail for Tarsus, appointing Helicanus Regent during his absence.
— from Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare by E. Nesbit and William Shakespeare - Did I not forbid you to act, in any respect, during my absence?
— from The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08 by Livy - It is a temporary but sublime absence of selfishness.
— from The Red Badge of Courage: An Episode of the American Civil War by Stephen Crane - How differently I used to feel his absence!
— from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë - Again, pleasure and pain are motions, and the absence of them is rest; but if so, how can the absence of either of them be the other?
— from The Republic by Plato - This absence is the worst of ills; Thy heart may bear, but me it kills.
— from Fables of La Fontaine — a New Edition, with Notes by Jean de La Fontaine - Prince Andrew remained at Bald Hills as usual during his father’s absence.
— from War and Peace by graf Leo Tolstoy - I leave you to imagine whether my absence was not regretted by the better sort.
— from Letters of Abelard and Heloise by Peter Abelard and Héloïse
