Literary notes about pacify (AI summary)
The term "pacify" in literature frequently connotes the act of soothing or appeasing anger and discontent. In epic narratives, it is employed to describe the efforts to calm formidable or divine figures, as when a king’s wrath is assuaged or a revered sage is placated ([1], [2], [3], [4], [5]). In more personal or domestic contexts, authors use "pacify" to denote the tender, yet sometimes futile, attempts to calm a distressed heart or temper a restless mind ([6], [7], [8], [9]). Even in political and social discourses, the word captures the notion of conciliatory measures—whether through promises of recompense or strategic gestures—aimed at averting further turmoil ([10], [11]). Across these diverse narrative settings, "pacify" serves as a versatile metaphor for restoring peace and order.
- And addressing the Rishi, O bull among kings, they endeavoured to pacify him.
— from The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 - And do thou pacify Yudhishthira by placing him on the throne with every mark of respect.
— from The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 - ‘When the Muni had spoken so, king Dhritarashtra began to pacify the sage, in order that what he had said might not happen.
— from The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 - But the heavenly beings were disquieted throughout the house of Jove, till the cunning workman Vulcan began to try and pacify his mother Juno.
— from The Iliad by Homer - But Arjuna, however, of white deeds, with appealing looks began to pacify his elder brother.
— from The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 - I tried to pacify her, and at last succeeded, and she lay quiet; but I could hear her poor dear heart still beating terribly.
— from Dracula by Bram Stoker - Do let me feel it—it comes straight down the moor—do let me have one breath!’ To pacify her I held the casement ajar a few seconds.
— from Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë - In fear and trembling I hastened to tell him every secret to pacify him, that he might see that I had not deceived him and let me off alive.’
— from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - So that she herself began trying to pacify and comfort him.
— from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - You see we were quite right to pacify that country.”
— from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - He asked Señor Castelar to suggest to Canovas that an attempt to pacify the island should be made by offering them liberal Home Rule.
— from The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 55, November 25, 1897A Weekly Magazine for Boys and Girls by Various
