Literary notes about coast (AI summary)
The word "coast" in literature often serves as a versatile marker of both physical geography and symbolic transition. In scientific and historical narratives, authors detail natural processes and human interventions along the coast—for instance, Darwin discusses erosion along rocky coastlines [1], while explorers note the coast as a landmark during voyages, such as the American coast being charted by Vespucci [2] and wood being gathered at Vera Cruz’s coast to build vessels [3]. In poetic and classical works, the coast frequently assumes a more lyrical or metaphorical quality, as in Virgil’s graceful sending of a hero toward a distant shore [4] or Homer's portrayal of a ghostly wanderer gliding along a dreary coast [5]. Even in accounts of military strategy or regional settlements, the coast represents both a boundary and a bridge between realms, underscoring its multifaceted role from a practical reference point to a rich symbol of transition and identity [6, 7].
- It is good to wander along the coast, when formed of moderately hard rocks, and mark the process of degradation.
— from The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin - 463 This expedition, which was accompanied by Vespucci, explored the American coast as far as the Rio de Cananea, in lat.
— from A Journal of the First Voyage of Vasco da Gama 1497-1499 - The necessary quantity of wood was cut on the coast of Vera Cruz, and the building of the vessels was commenced with all assiduity.
— from The Memoirs of the Conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Vol 1 (of 2) by Bernal Díaz del Castillo - And wip’d the sweat, and wash’d away the gore; Then gently wafts him to the farther coast, And sends him safe to cheer his anxious host.
— from The Aeneid by Virgil - And plaintive glides along the dreary coast, A naked, wandering, melancholy ghost!
— from The Iliad by Homer - At the time that the telegraph brought the news of his death, I was on the Pacific coast.
— from Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain - Bugeaud, however, crossed the frontier, and inflicted a severe defeat on this army, while a French fleet bombarded the towns on the coast.
— from The New Gresham Encyclopedia. A to Amide by Various