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Literary notes about atrabilious (AI summary)

Writers have long employed “atrabilious” to evoke a sense of bitterness, gloom, and ill temper in both characters and atmospheres. In one instance, it is used to describe a pessimistic, philosophically inclined group with a dark humor, reflecting the mood of an era steeped in somber introspection [1]. At other times, the term characterizes individuals defined by sallow features and a dour temperament that borders on the beastly, underscoring an inner turmoil and acerbic disposition [2, 3]. Moreover, some authors extend its reach into social or political commentary, using “atrabilious” to critique stances or temperaments that seem inherently obstinate or ill-natured, as in the depiction of a faction defined by its gloomy outlook [4]. This multifaceted term, therefore, serves as a powerful literary device to highlight both personal melancholy and a broader social pessimism.
  1. I hold them to be a race of pessimists, recruited amongst beggarly philosophers and knavish, atrabilious theologians.
    — from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova
  2. The atrabilious face, the bitter, thin lips, and grey eyes veined with yellow, reminded him indefinably of a wild beast.
    — from Gulmore, The Boss by Frank Harris
  3. His hair was black and streaky; his complexion atrabilious; his voice slightly raucous, like that of a tragedian contending with a cold.
    — from Blackwoods Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 59, No. 366, April, 1846 by Various
  4. Since ancient times four have been distinguished: the sanguine, bilious (choleric), melancholic (atrabilious), phlegmatic (lymphatic).
    — from Psychology: an elementary text-book by Hermann Ebbinghaus

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