Literary notes about graven (AI summary)
The term "graven" is employed in literature to evoke a sense of permanence and indelible inscription, whether in the literal carving on stone or as a metaphor for lasting impact. In religious texts, it is often associated with sacrosanct prohibitions against idolatry, marking images or symbols that should not be venerated ([1], [2], [3]). In historical and poetic contexts, "graven" vividly describes the enduring imprint of physical monuments, epitaphs, or memorials that encapsulate an enduring legacy ([4], [5], [6]). Authors also extend its use to denote deep and unforgettably inscribed emotions or memories, thereby imbuing the narrative with an immutable quality that transcends time ([7], [8], [9]).
- I the Lord, this is my name: I will not give my glory to another, nor my praise to graven things.
— from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete - And I will destroy thy graven things, and thy statues, out of the midst of thee: and thou shalt no more adore the works of thy hands. 5:13.
— from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete - What doth the graven thing avail, because the maker thereof hath graven it, a molten, and a false image?
— from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete - While I lived I could not cope with slanderous tongues, Now that I am dead I must submit to an epitaph Graven by a fool!
— from Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters - They went up to the great graven tomb of the historic warrior, and stood for a few minutes staring at it.
— from The innocence of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton - Deep graven in my breast for all to see.
— from Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra - As if the initial word of each our destiny were not graven in imperishable characters upon the face of a rock.’
— from Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad - The incidents of the next few days are indelibly graven upon my recollection, and I can tell them without reference to the notes made at the time.
— from The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle - Your words, your oaths, are all deeply graven in my heart.
— from Letters of Abelard and Heloise by Peter Abelard and Héloïse
