Literary notes about nestling (AI summary)
The term “nestling” carries a rich versatility in literature, serving both as a literal depiction of young birds and as a metaphor for intimate closeness and tender support. For instance, it vividly describes physical proximity in moments of emotional warmth—illustrated by Wilde’s character nestling close to another [1] and Tagore’s baby nestling next to its mother [2]—while simultaneously conjuring images of gentle embracing and quiet refuge, as seen in Hugo’s portrayals of nature’s delicate beauty [3, 4] and Brontë’s tender characters [5, 6]. Even in contexts that explore natural phenomena [7] or humorously list qualities [8], "nestling" adapts to evoke both the physical act of settling in and the abstract idea of finding comfort or belonging. This multifaceted usage underscores how the word has been celebrated across genres and eras, linking the imagery of a nest’s security to the universal human yearning for solace and closeness.
- [ Nestling close to him .
— from An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde - The baby cried out in its dream, nestling close to its mother.
— from The gardener by Rabindranath Tagore - The streamlets they wander through meadows so fleet, Their music enticing fond lovers to meet; The violets are blooming and nestling their heads
— from Poems by Victor Hugo - only vows, Happiness, and all our care, And the flower that sweetly shows Nestling lightly in your hair.
— from Poems by Victor Hugo - Her clasp, and the nestling action with which she pressed her cheek to mine, made me almost cry with a tender pain.
— from Villette by Charlotte Brontë - I slightly turned from him, nestling still closer under the wing of silence.
— from Villette by Charlotte Brontë - The period at which the perfect plumage is acquired varies, as does the state of the down with which the nestling birds are clothed when hatched.
— from The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin - f. Collateral f. Dutiful and officious f. Haunch and side f. Optical and perspective f. Nestling, ninny, and youngling f. Algoristic
— from Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais