Literary notes about ephemeral (AI summary)
In literature, "ephemeral" conveys the idea of fleetingness—whether it’s the delicate, transient life of a fly that stands as a metaphor for our own brief existence [1, 2] or the impermanent nature of political appointments and societal trends that are destined to vanish almost as soon as they appear [3, 4]. The word is often employed to underscore the contrast between what endures and what fades away, whether in the description of momentary triumphs or the evanescent aspects of human experience [5, 6]. Through its varied usages, "ephemeral" serves as a powerful reminder of life’s transitory beauty and the inherent impermanence of our world.
- " Thus sighed the Dryad; and she prayed: "Take from me the years that were destined for me, and give me but half of the life of the ephemeral fly!
— from Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen by H. C. Andersen - The ephemeral fly knows not repose, for her existence is flight.
— from Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen by H. C. Andersen - Assistant Commissioners come and go, but a valuable Chief Inspector is not an ephemeral office phenomenon.
— from The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale by Joseph Conrad - The triumph, however, was only ephemeral and illusive.
— from History of Woman Suffrage, Volume I - menial labours, and pains, slight in themselves, but too gigantic for our exhausted strength, shall make no part of our ephemeral existences.
— from The Last Man by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley - An ephemeral monument; but as long as it stood its effect was delightfully classic and beautiful.
— from Toronto of Old by Henry Scadding
