Literary notes about bust (AI summary)
The term bust appears with a rich variety of meanings in literature, functioning both as a literal reference to sculptural likenesses and as a dynamic verb that suggests breaking or energetic action. In many narratives, it denotes finely crafted sculptures that memorialize historical or mythological figures—consider the solemn busts alluded to in depictions of classical heroism and remembrance ([1], [2], [3]). Equally, bust serves as a descriptor of the human form, as when it highlights physical features in character portrayals ([4], [5]). Beyond its static usage, the word also conveys sudden action or emotional eruption, capturing moments of explosive energy or breaking points in a colloquial register ([6], [7], [8]).
- [71] "Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door— Perched, and sat, and nothing more."
— from The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe - A bust of Beethoven, covered with a hood of dust, scowled at her from the mantelpiece.
— from The Awakening, and Selected Short Stories by Kate Chopin - Opposite was a large bookcase, with a marble bust of Athene on the top.
— from The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - Winnie Verloc was a young woman with a full bust, in a tight bodice, and with broad hips.
— from The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale by Joseph Conrad - She had a small waist and a well-developed bust, which seemed to present a challenge, offer a temptation.
— from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant - “Why, you'd probably bust the record for the hundred-yard dash!”
— from Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis - If she’ll let up on some of the roughest things, I’ll smoke private and cuss private, and crowd through or bust.
— from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete by Mark Twain - He'd—oh, he'd BUST if he went on stewing about things by himself.
— from Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
