Literary notes about eloquence (AI summary)
Throughout literature, the term "eloquence" has been used in diverse ways to capture the art and power of expression. In some works it denotes a refined, almost sacred quality of language—as Montaigne suggests, one should not alter eloquence itself ([1]), and Jefferson links it to influential political persuasion ([2]). Other authors emphasize its emotional potency, with Napoleon describing language that inflames the heart ([3]) and Proust exclaiming its striking impact ([4]). Meanwhile, eloquence can also be critiqued or seen as insufficient in itself; Rousseau notes that even Demosthenes’ acclaimed style cannot animate a lifeless body ([5]), while others imply that true eloquence lies not only in artful speech but also in the underlying sincerity and intention ([6], [7]). Thus, across various contexts—from political oratory to intimate expressions—the word "eloquence" serves as a multifaceted emblem of language’s capacity to enchant, persuade, and even deceive.
- I very willingly deliver this author to you in his own words; for should I alter eloquence itself?
— from Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Complete by Michel de Montaigne - This resolution was largely due to the eloquence of Harrison Gray Otis.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - What eloquence, what feelings you portray; they are of fire, they inflame my poor heart!
— from Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812 by Emperor of the French Napoleon I - You never heard such eloquence!
— from Swann's Way by Marcel Proust - Not all the eloquence of Demosthenes could breathe life into a body which luxury and the arts had once enervated.
— from The Social Contract & Discourses by Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Sincerity is the very soul of eloquence.
— from The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie and J. Berg Esenwein - I never heard such good preaching as his—such plain, easy eloquence.
— from Middlemarch by George Eliot
