Literary notes about floe (AI summary)
The word "floe" has been employed in literature as a vivid descriptor for large, drifting sheets of ice, often imbuing scenes with a sense of isolation or mystery. For instance, in example [1] by Edgar Allan Poe, a floe seen from the ship's masthead not only anchors the wintry setting but also serves as a platform for the sudden appearance of a large animal, enhancing the scene's enigmatic quality. This usage is complemented by another Poe example [2], where the term "floe of field ice" is used to distinguish a specific formation among other ice islands, thereby highlighting its physical characteristics and spatial significance. In a more succinct yet striking application, example [3] cites the term in reference to an "ice-floe" alongside flak, demonstrating its enduring capacity to convey the tangible and formidable presence of natural ice formations even in historical or official texts.
- About midday a small floe of ice was seen from the masthead off the larboard bow, and upon it there appeared to be some large animal.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe - W. We now saw several large ice islands, and a floe of field ice, not, however, of any great extent.
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe - flak , an ice-floe.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson
