Literary notes about grief (AI summary)
Literary works use the term grief in diverse ways, often embodying both the weight of personal sorrow and the far-reaching consequences of loss. It can denote an imminent, almost fated, hardship that warns characters of dangerous consequences, as when a solitary path leads inevitably to sorrow [1]. Simultaneously, grief functions as a transformative force that propels internal change or even a redemptive journey, echoing in the hearts of both tragic heroes and common folk [2, 3]. In some texts, grief is portrayed as a shared burden that unites communities and underscores human vulnerability, while in others it becomes a solitary, internal landscape marking the silent aftermath of love and loss [4, 5]. Such varied portrayals demonstrate how literature harnesses grief not only as a mirror of raw emotional pain but also as a vital element that deepens the resonance of human experience [6, 7].
- And mind now, I say again, look out for squalls if you will go your own way, and that way ain't the Doctor's, for it'll lead to grief.
— from Tom Brown's School Days by Thomas Hughes - But yet do I believe The origin and commencement of his grief Sprung from neglected love.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - Adonais is a wonderful threnody, or a song of grief, over the death of the poet Keats.
— from English Literature by William J. Long - Laertes, I must commune with your grief, Or you deny me right.
— from Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare - But that best of Rishis—Agastya—addressing those royal sages, said, ‘Yield ye not to grief, I will eat up the great Asura.’
— from The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 - As Anna had her heart full of grief, she prayed to the Lord, shedding many tears, 1:11.
— from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete - They elevated me from all littleness of feeling; and although they did not remove my grief, they subdued and tranquillised it.
— from Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley