Literary notes about observe (AI summary)
Literature employs the word "observe" in varied and nuanced ways. It often denotes a careful act of seeing or noticing, whether it is the attentive watching of nature or social behavior ([1], [2]), or the deliberate adherence to rules and customs ([3], [4]). At other times it underscores a reflective or analytical stance, inviting readers to consider hidden details or moral subtleties in the narrative ([5], [6]). In some passages, "observe" becomes a direct inquiry into behaviors or phenomena, blending literal watching with thoughtful consideration ([7], [8]). This multifaceted use enriches the text, bridging the gap between mere perception and deeper interpretation.
- We stopped to observe him as one does when he meets an enemy at night.
— from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant - I leaned against a tree to observe them.
— from The Last Man by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley - I therefore gave the men a particular Charge with respect to them which they promised me to observe.
— from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis - Observe this rule always in purchasing goods.
— from The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness by Florence Hartley - But we have now to observe that it is just this margin which reveals most clearly the latent Utilitarianism
— from The Methods of Ethics by Henry Sidgwick - We then observe the awaking just as little as the falling asleep, dream and reality run together and become confounded.
— from The World as Will and Idea (Vol. 1 of 3) by Arthur Schopenhauer - ‘You will observe the Rules of Battle, of course?’
— from Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll - He then slew the sacrifices, and offered them as burnt-offerings, that he might observe some signal of the flight of the Hebrews.
— from Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus
