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.
- 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 - 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 - 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 - Since ancient times four have been distinguished: the sanguine, bilious (choleric), melancholic (atrabilious), phlegmatic (lymphatic).
— from Psychology: an elementary text-book by Hermann Ebbinghaus