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Literary notes about gordian (AI summary)

The word "Gordian" in literature serves both as a metaphor for an intricate, seemingly insoluble problem and as a historical or titular reference. In many works, it invokes the famed "Gordian knot"—a symbol of complexity that can be undone by a bold, unconventional act, as seen in Poe’s illustration of untangling the mystery with a sabre [1] and Milton’s notion of learned hands dispelling an enchanted tangle [2]. On another front, authors like Byron expand the concept to denote bonds that tie together various layers of society [3]. Additionally, "Gordian" appears in historical narratives and titles, referencing notable figures such as a Roman magistrate and emperors or kings [4], [5], [6], which further authenticates its cultural resonance. Even in American foundational symbolism, the act of severing the Gordian knot is emblematic of decisive action exemplified by Alexander’s legendary feat [7], [8].
  1. And yet there is in this no Gordian knot Which one might not undo without a sabre, If one could merely comprehend the plot.
    — from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe
  2. What power, what force, what mighty spell, if not Your learned hands, can loose this Gordian knot?
    — from The Poetical Works of John Milton by John Milton
  3. The Gordian or the Geordi-an knot, whose strings Have tied together commons, lords, and kings.
    — from Don Juan by Baron George Gordon Byron Byron
  4. Donatus, bishop of Arezzo, and Hilarinus, a hermit, suffered about the same time; also Gordian, a Roman magistrate.
    — from Fox's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe
  5. The Senate decreed Gordian III.
    — from The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 1 by Marco Polo and da Pisa Rusticiano
  6. The very same lot, also, with the like misluck, did betide the Emperor Gordian the younger.
    — from Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais
  7. Alexander cutting the Gordian knot.
    — from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson
  8. In passing through Gordium he cut the Gordian knot, on which it was believed the fate Page 96
    — from The New Gresham Encyclopedia. A to Amide by Various

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