Literary notes about bittersweet (AI summary)
In literature, "bittersweet" is employed as a multifaceted symbol that melds contrasting elements into a single evocative image. It often conveys the coexistence of joy and sorrow, such as when a consoling voice from the dead carries redemption with a touch of sorrow [1] or when love and the passing of time stir emotions that are both tender and tinged with melancholy [2]. At times, the term is also used to evoke the vivid qualities of nature, with lush vines bearing ornamental berries that serve as a metaphor for life’s intricate interplay of beauty and pain [3]. This dual usage enriches the narrative by inviting readers to confront the complex and often contradictory nature of human experience.
- 344 It seemed like a voice from the dead, it was bittersweet consolation, and, in a way, it stood redemption of Dinkie himself.
— from The Prairie Child by Arthur Stringer - But love and the passing of the days are bittersweet within my heart to-day.
— from The Well at the World's End: A Tale by William Morris - Graceful sprays of bittersweet-vine trailed their bright berries over the white cloth.
— from The Little Colonel at Boarding-School by Annie F. (Annie Fellows) Johnston
