Literary notes about enchantment (AI summary)
In literature, the term "enchantment" is employed both as a literal force and a metaphor for emotional or aesthetic transformation. It often denotes a magical spell that alters reality—transforming horses into trees or imprisoning characters in a state of suspended life [1], [2]—while simultaneously evoking a sense of wonder and mystery in natural landscapes, where distance or light seems to imbue surroundings with a dreamlike quality [3], [4]. Additionally, enchantment can encapsulate the bittersweet nature of desire and control, as seen when its power both captivates and confines characters [5], [6]. Through such varied uses, literature weaves enchantment into its narrative fabric as a symbol of both irresistible allure and transformative change.
- Then his servants and his horses, who had likewise been changed into trees, were freed from the enchantment also, and stood beside him.
— from Household Tales by Brothers Grimm by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm - Then the enchantment was at an end; everything was released from sleep, and those who had been turned to stone received once more their natural forms.
— from Household Tales by Brothers Grimm by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm - 'T is distance lends enchantment to the view, And robes the mountain in its azure hue.
— from Familiar QuotationsA Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced toTheir Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature - But the house!—how quaint an old building was this!—to me how veritably a palace of enchantment!
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe - No sooner was the enchantment performed than He considered her to be absolutely in his power, and his eyes flamed with lust and impatience.
— from The Monk: A Romance by M. G. Lewis - Why then does this enchantment still seem to bind me?’
— from Grimms' Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm
