Literary notes about air (AI summary)
Throughout literature, the term "air" serves a multifaceted role that bridges the tangible environment and the intangible nuances of character and emotion. Authors evoke the physical atmosphere—whether it’s the crisp chill of a night air that welcomes or repels ([1], [2]), the palpable heat that imbues a scene with lethargy or urgency ([3], [4]), or the dynamic interplay of natural elements like cool breezes and swirling smoke ([5], [6])—to vividly set the stage. In parallel, "air" is equally adept at conveying a person’s bearing or mood; it can denote a superior or commanding presence ([7], [8], [9]), suggest thoughtful introspection combined with self-assurance ([10], [11]), or even embody an aura of desolation and loneliness ([12]). In both its literal and figurative applications, the word becomes a versatile tool that enriches narrative texture, linking the external world with the internal landscapes of the characters.
- He shall not harm the girl; the night air grows chill, and I would welcome her in mine own place.
— from She by H. Rider Haggard - Yesterday a man said to me that what a man needs is fresh air, fresh air, fresh air.
— from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - The air is hot and still, nobody does anything but sit and philosophise about life.
— from The Sea-Gull by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - It was growing rather dark in the house, and the evening air was chilly, too.
— from The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner - The air around suddenly vibrated and tingled, as it were, like the air over intensely heated plates of iron.
— from Moby Dick; Or, The Whale by Herman Melville - Clouds of tobacco smoke rolled and wavered high in air about the dull gilt of the chandeliers.
— from Maggie: A Girl of the Streets by Stephen Crane - Weedon Scott smiled with a superior air, gained his feet, and walked over to White Fang.
— from White Fang by Jack London - I would have excused myself; but she began to put on a commanding air, that I durst not oppose.
— from Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded by Samuel Richardson - He had the air of a man of business, and was evidently a person of importance.
— from The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner - " He bent his head in thought a moment, then raised it with an air of confidence.
— from A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs - Beth and I can keep house perfectly well," put in Amy, with an important air.
— from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - A desolate air of utter and complete loneliness fell upon him, like a visible shade.
— from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens