Literary notes about improve (AI summary)
The word "improve" functions as a versatile marker of enhancement in literature, often signifying the refining of both tangible and intangible qualities. It is employed to denote the cultivation of intellect and character, as when efforts are made to improve the minds of youth [1] or to refine one’s conversational skills [2]. The term also underscores the gradual evolution inherent in personal development, whether suggesting that someone may improve with age [3] or that skills and manners can mature over time [4]. In some works it implies a process of mutual betterment between contrasting elements, as in the idea that different forces can corrupt and improve each other [5], while in others it is linked to practical and aesthetic refinement, such as enhancing a style [6] or adjusting a work of art [7]. Across these varied contexts, "improve" captures the continual pursuit of advancement and perfection, reflecting both individual aspirations and broader societal or artistic reforms.
- The same assiduous cultivation was bestowed, though not perhaps with equal success, to improve the minds of the sons and nephews of Constantine.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - 6. Give an account of one day's effort to improve your own conversation.
— from The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie and J. Berg Esenwein - “Perhaps she will improve as she grows older,” the officer’s wife said good-naturedly.
— from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - His abilities in every respect improve as much upon acquaintance as his manners and person.
— from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - The two sexes mutually corrupt and improve each other.
— from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft - “Mamma thinks that I should accept the offer, as the dancing on the stage will improve my style, and I can study under a good master all the same.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - After the paragraph has been written, examine it to see whether subdivision will not improve it.
— from The Elements of Style by William Strunk
