Literary notes about appear (AI summary)
The word “appear” demonstrates a remarkable versatility in literature, serving both to denote a physical manifestation and to suggest a quality or impression. At times it describes something coming into view or being physically present—as when a character’s wounded feelings lead him not to appear [1] or when striking images manifest on a landscape [2]—while in other instances it implies an emergent quality or seeming, as in the subtle suggestion that a person exhibits an aspect that may not be immediately evident [3, 4]. This dual capacity allows the term to bridge the gap between literal visibility and figurative insight, contributing depth and ambiguity to narrative voices and thematic presentations [5, 6, 7].
- It was quite evident that his feelings were so wounded that he would not appear.
— from The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde - the main creek boar to the S. and heads in the Mountains; it's bottoms are much narrower above where we passed it and the hills appear high.
— from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis - His mind was occupied with a desire not to appear green.
— from Winesburg, Ohio: A Group of Tales of Ohio Small Town Life by Sherwood Anderson - I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done."
— from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - He made no answer, but I saw a smile, a smile of indefinable meaning, appear on his colourless lips that a moment after twitched convulsively. '
— from Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad - Above the rest, two goddesses appear Concern’d for each: here Venus, Juno there.
— from The Aeneid by Virgil - Thus space and time appear to be infinitely divisible.
— from The Problems of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell
