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Literary notes about enlighten (AI summary)

The term "enlighten" appears in literature as a dynamic metaphor for both the dispelling of literal darkness and the transformative power of knowledge. In many religious and devotional contexts, it is used to depict divine illumination that banishes spiritual gloom and ignorance, as seen when the faithful implore God to enlighten their darkness ([1], [2], [3]). Equally, it is deployed in more secular and critical settings to indicate the effort—sometimes futile—to impart true understanding or to expose hypocrisy, such as when one character explains the limitations of mere ceremonial practice or the inadequacy of shallow explanations ([4], [5]). Moreover, "enlighten" also serves as a vehicle for discussing personal growth and the awakening of the mind, whether through intimate conversation or systemic reform ([6], [7], [8], [9]). Thus, across genres and eras, the word consistently evokes the interplay between light and shadow, symbolizing the challenging yet vital journey from ignorance to insight.
  1. For thou lightest my lamp, O Lord: O my God, enlighten my darkness.
    — from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete
  2. If then thy whole body be lightsome, having no part of darkness: the whole shall be lightsome and, as a bright lamp, shall enlighten thee.
    — from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete
  3. And they shall not need the light of the lamp, nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall enlighten then.
    — from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete
  4. It is mere ceremony, for it does not enlighten the customer much.
    — from Roughing It by Mark Twain
  5. Not another word had I heard to enlighten me on the subject of my expectations, and my twenty-third birthday was a week gone.
    — from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
  6. Thou shalt light my candle; Thou, O Lord my God, wilt enlighten my darkness.
    — from The Confessions of St. Augustine by Bishop of Hippo Saint Augustine
  7. Wherefore he saith: Rise, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead: and Christ shall enlighten thee. 5:15.
    — from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete
  8. Enlighten me, will you?” Poirot studied me attentively for a moment or two.
    — from The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
  9. "Hadn't you better see," says Mr. Tulkinghorn to Krook, "whether he had any papers that may enlighten you?
    — from Bleak House by Charles Dickens

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