Literary notes about blurted (AI summary)
The term "blurted" in literature is often used to convey a sudden, unpremeditated outburst of speech that reveals a character's inner state or a pivotal truth. It suggests a loss of control or restraint—whether it’s a salesman hastily confessing his miscalculation [1] or a character, caught up in sudden emotion, declaring something that propels the dialogue forward [2]. In many works, authors employ "blurted" to accentuate the immediacy and rawness of spoken word, as seen when youthful gaiety or deep regret is expressed in an instant burst [3] or when startling revelations disrupt the calm of a conversation [4]. This dynamic use of the word serves to heighten tension and develop character by exposing the impulses that underlie human behavior.
- For a moment the salesman hesitated; then he blurted out, "Well, madam, I thought perhaps you were taking an inventory!"
— from Jokes For All OccasionsSelected and Edited by One of America's Foremost Public Speakers by Anonymous - At first Jimmie hesitated, but when the bully called him a coward, he blurted out: “You don’t dare to do it!”
— from James Oliver Curwood, Disciple of the Wilds by Hobart Donald Swiggett - Pyotr Stepanovitch blurted out with the gaiety and irresponsibility of youth.
— from The possessed : by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - I felt quite excited over it, and blurted out:— “Why, this beats even shorthand!
— from Dracula by Bram Stoker
