Literary notes about encompass (AI summary)
In literature, the word "encompass" conveys both a literal and a figurative sense of encirclement and inclusion. It is frequently employed to denote physical boundaries, as when natural formations or constructed walls surround a location, evoking clear images of terrain and defense as seen in texts describing hills that encompass a town [1] or a force moving to encompass a hostile position [2]. Equally, the term extends into the realm of metaphor, suggesting the all-embracing nature of fate or the vast reach of an idea, such as the way one's existence might be seen to encompass entire worlds and experiences [3] or how even a single individual might become the focal point against expansive odds [4]. This dual usage enriches narratives by merging concrete spatial descriptions with deeper thematic elements that resonate on both physical and symbolic levels [5].
- A chain of hills, varying from 1,000 to 2,000 feet high, encompass the town landwards, and on these, facing the sea, are several forts.
— from A Soldier of the LegionAn Englishman's Adventures Under the French Flag in Algeria and Tonquin by George Manington - To still further encompass the hostile position a force of Belgians was approaching from the westward.
— from Wilmshurst of the Frontier Force by Percy F. (Percy Francis) Westerman - My voice goes after what my eyes cannot reach, With the twirl of my tongue I encompass worlds and volumes of worlds.
— from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman - When could they say, till now, that talk’d of Rome, That her wide walls encompass’d but one man?
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - Madame Marie is afraid D'Aulnay will try to encompass the fort to-night."
— from The Lady of Fort St. John by Mary Hartwell Catherwood
