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Literary notes about geist (AI summary)

The word "geist" pops up in literature with a multiplicity of meanings, ranging from the spiritual and metaphysical to the intellectual and even the mundane. Authors invoke it as a synonym for the divine spirit, as seen in hymns and prayers (e.g., [1], [2], [3]), and as a marker of intellectual or cultural essence, such as in discussions of the "Zeit-geist" (e.g., [4], [5]). At times it appears in legal, philosophical, or sociological contexts, hinting at an abstract, guiding force (e.g., [6], [7], [8]). There are also instances where "geist" plays a role in more personal or narrative passages, attributing qualities like vivacity or even a spectral presence to characters or settings (e.g., [9], [10], [11]). This rich tapestry of usage not only underscores its linguistic versatility but also how its connotations can shift dramatically depending on the context.
  1. O heiliger Geist, o heiliger Gott, Gib uns die Lieb zu deinem Wort, Zünd an in uns der Liebe Flamm, Dass
    — from Handbook to the Mennonite Hymnary by Lester Hostetler
  2. Kräftig Wort von Gottes Geist, Der den Weg zum Himmel weist, Und durch seine heilge Kraft Wollen und Vollbringen schafft!
    — from Hymns from the GermanTranslated by Frances Elizabeth Cox
  3. Stanza iii. of Luther's hymn, “Nun bitten wir den heiligen Geist” ; Stanza vii.
    — from Johann Sebastian Bach: His Life, Art, and Work by Johann Nikolaus Forkel
  4. He almost anticipated our modern idea, or platitude, of the Zeit-geist.
    — from Gaston de Latour; an unfinished romance by Walter Pater
  5. The Zeit-Geist The Zeit-Geist CONTENTS THE ZEIT-GEIST LIBRARY.
    — from The Zeit-Geist by L. (Lily) Dougall
  6. His Geist der Zeit ("Spirit of the Times"), the first part of which appeared in 1806, had a very powerful influence on the minds of his countrymen.
    — from Main Currents in Nineteenth Century Literature - 2. The Romantic School in Germany by Georg Brandes
  7. Max Weber: "Die protestantische Ethik und der 'Geist' des Kapitalismus," Archiv
    — from The Age of the Reformation by Preserved Smith
  8. Ihering in his Geist des römischen Rechts , iii. 1 (p. 320 note), demonstrates this with numerous citations.
    — from The Origin of the Knowledge of Right and Wrong by Franz Brentano
  9. The translation is preceded by a poem consisting of three eight–line stanzas An Ossian’s Geist, an appeal by the poet for assistance from the bard.
    — from Ossian in Germany Bibliography, General Survey, Ossian's Influence upon Klopstock and the Bards by Rudolf Tombo
  10. There stood my evil genius—the böser Geist of my lover’s fate—Anna Sartorius.
    — from The First ViolinA Novel by Jessie Fothergill
  11. Lass Deinen Geist in meiner Stimme klingen, Und was Du sangst, lass mich es Dir nachsingen!
    — from Faust [part 1]. Translated Into English in the Original Metres by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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