Literary notes about beguilement (AI summary)
In literature, beguilement functions as a multifaceted term that captures both enchanting allure and deceptive misdirection. Authors employ it to evoke the transient charm of youthful or pleasurable distractions—as in the depiction of a "sweet beguilement" in a caress ([1]) or the diversion found in leisurely pursuits ([2])—while also conveying the manipulation inherent in coercion or deceit, as when a figure utilizes beguilement to win favor with nobles ([3]) or when it becomes emblematic of calculated control ([4]). At times, the word underscores the bittersweet nature of time and human error, suggesting that moments of seductive yet misleading beauty can mask emptiness or pretense ([5], [6]).
- Oh, the sweet beguilement of that caress!
— from Folly as It Flies; Hit at by Fanny Fern by Fanny Fern - amusement , n. diversion , entertainment , beguilement , recreation , relaxation , pastime , merriment , fun , sport , pleasure .
— from Putnam's Word Book A Practical Aid in Expressing Ideas Through the Use of an Exact and Varied Vocabulary by Louis A. (Louis Andrew) Flemming - He began with the arts of beguilement, and left nothing undone to win the confidence and affection of the Toledan nobles.
— from Toledo, the Story of an Old Spanish Capital by Hannah Lynch - Ministers in turn have defensively adopted the arts of beguilement, varied by an exercise of the police.
— from Complete Short Works of George Meredith by George Meredith - Wullahy, thrice have I been saluted King; I whom fate selecteth for the shaving of Shagpat, and till now it was a beguilement, all emptiness.
— from The Shaving of Shagpat; an Arabian entertainment — Complete by George Meredith - In her tones was beguilement, in her eyes the lure of an evil thing.
— from Banked Fires by E. W. (Ethel Winifred) Savi
