Literary notes about pacifying (AI summary)
Writers use “pacifying” to convey a process of calming conflict and soothing unrest, whether on a personal, social, or political level. In some texts it describes the gentle act of calming an agitated child or individual, as when a caregiver soothes a fussy baby ([1], [2]), while in other works it captures the more forceful or strategic efforts to subdue rebellious groups or quell public disturbances ([3], [4]). The word also extends into metaphorical or poetic realms, where it not only implies the suppression of discord but also the restoration of internal harmony and balance, as seen in descriptions of soothing influences and conciliatory actions ([5], [6]). This flexible use highlights the term’s ability to bridge intimate, domestic settings with broader societal or even historical struggles for stability and peace ([7], [8]).
- Mrs. Keller took the baby in her arms, and when we had succeeded in pacifying her, I asked Helen, "What did you do to baby?"
— from The Story of My Life by Helen Keller - Mother was always willing I should go, and never said,— "Don't you think you ought to be pacifying the baby?"
— from Aunt Madge's Story by Sophie May - The members of Parliament succeeded with great difficulty in pacifying the mob.
— from A Popular History of France from the Earliest Times, Volume 6 by François Guizot - At the same time the Governor of the city showed remarkable courage in going round the town pacifying the mob.
— from Changing China by Cecil, Florence Mary (Bootle-Wilbraham), Lady - He gulped a cup of coffee in the hope of pacifying his stomach and his soul.
— from Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis - O the of increase, growth, recuperation, The joy of soothing and pacifying, the joy of concord and harmony.
— from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman - The Bill, he said, would satisfy the Roman Catholic hierarchy, and complete the work of the Land Bill in pacifying Ireland.
— from Handbook of Home Rule: Being Articles on the Irish Question - The Turkish Government has a very difficult task in ruling and pacifying the number of races which it has subjugated even in Asiatic Turkey.
— from Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan, Volume 2 (of 2)
Including a Summer in the Upper Karun Region and a Visit to the Nestorian Rayahs by Isabella L. (Isabella Lucy) Bird