Literary notes about cool (AI summary)
The term “cool” in literature serves multiple roles, shifting fluidly between the literal and the figurative. In many works, it describes a tangible, refreshing quality—whether evoking the soothing chill of an evening breeze or the revitalizing effect of cool water ([1], [2], [3]). At other times, it conveys emotional detachment or measured composure, as characters are portrayed as “cool” in demeanor, unruffled despite chaos or intense pressure ([4], [5], [6]). Furthermore, “cool” can enhance the text’s atmosphere, appearing in lyrical settings that blend physical conditions with metaphorical subtleties, thereby enriching both the scene and the characterizations ([7], [8], [9]). Occasionally, the word even carries an ironic or critical edge, hinting at impudence or aloof social attitudes ([10], [11]).
- From the Hills where'—he sighed—'the air and water are fresh and cool.' 'Aha!
— from Kim by Rudyard Kipling - The wind continued to blow very hard from the N. E. and a little before day light was moderately Cool.
— from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis - The one window of the cell was open, the air was fresh and cool.
— from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - “I am cool now,” said Monsieur the Marquis, “and may go to bed.”
— from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - He had nerves of steel, this man; for though the whole weight of the affair was on him his manner was as cool and unconcerned as ever.
— from The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle - ‘He must have time to cool before he can possibly do anything,’ said Miss La Creevy.
— from Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens - Our lives are Swiss, — So still, so cool, Till, some odd afternoon, The Alps neglect their curtains,
— from Poems by Emily Dickinson, Three Series, Complete by Emily Dickinson - "Hope you find it pleasant here, sir; nice grounds—cool apartments—hope you'll stay with us some time—try to make it agreeable.
— from The Piazza Tales by Herman Melville - Cool breezes coursed in transparent eddies round Oak's face.
— from Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy - You hain’t done a thing from the start that had any sense in it, except coming out so cool and cheeky with that imaginary blue-arrow mark.
— from Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain - “Well, for cool native impudence and pure innate pride, you haven’t your equal,” said he.
— from Jane Eyre: An Autobiography by Charlotte Brontë