Literary notes about flee (AI summary)
In literature, "flee" is employed as a multifaceted term that conjures both the immediate rush of physical escape and the deeper, often symbolic, retreat from danger or consequence. It captures moments when characters must abandon cherished ideals or safe havens to confront overwhelming perils, as in quests for freedom or survival [1, 2]. At times, the word conveys the visceral response to imminent threat—a panicked departure in battle or evasion of moral retribution [3, 4]—while in other contexts it becomes emblematic of the internal struggle against inescapable fate or the burden of sin [5, 6]. This duality enriches narratives by juxtaposing the urgency of escape with the reflective sorrow of leaving behind what is known, adding layers of tension and meaning to both epic and intimate tales [7, 8].
- married lady, and was obliged to flee with her here to the Caucasus for the sake of his ideals, he would have us believe, seeing that . . .
— from The Duel and Other Stories by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - And when I alone shall turn in flight 3 before thee, 3 so will all the men of Erin also flee 4 before thee in like manner."
— from The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Táin Bó Cúalnge - 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
— from The King James Bible - When he was twenty, he was forced to flee from his native land, to which he never returned.
— from Filipino Popular Tales - XIV She hesitates, in doubt is thrown— "Shall I proceed, or homeward flee?
— from Eugene Oneguine [Onegin] by Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin - He desired eagerly thus to fly, who cried, saying, Oh that I had wings like a dove, for then would I flee away and be at rest.
— from The Imitation of Christ by à Kempis Thomas - So King Lyngi let send the war-message all throughout his realm, and has no will to flee, but summons to him all such as would give him aid.
— from The Story of the Volsungs (Volsunga Saga); with Excerpts from the Poetic Edda - A sinful man will flee reproof, and will find an excuse according to his will.
— from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete