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Literary notes about pharos (AI summary)

The term “pharos” is employed in literature both as a concrete reference to a notable architectural and navigational landmark and as a metaphorical device steeped in historical and symbolic significance. In some works it denotes the famed lighthouse of Alexandria or similar structures—serving as a beacon of guidance and a marker of civilization—as seen when it describes an island connected to the mainland by a dyke ([1]) and when it appears in discussions of Roman towers and monuments ([2], [3]). In other contexts, “pharos” transforms into a proper name that imbues characters with an aura of mystery or authority ([4], [5]), while in more poetic passages it evokes the image of a radiant star or a solitary tower that punctuates the landscape ([6], [7]).
  1. Only one feature shall be mentioned here: the dyke Heptastadion (seven stades long) which was built to connect the island of Pharos and the mainland.
    — from Alexandria: A History and a Guide by E. M. (Edward Morgan) Forster
  2. of Pharos (= Faro), an island near Alexandria, famous for its lighthouse.
    — from Helps to Latin Translation at Sight by Edmund Luce
  3. We also saw the lantern of Pharos, that of Nauplion, and that of Acropolis at Athens, sacred to Pallas.
    — from Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais
  4. "I have taken the liberty of accepting that on your behalf," said Pharos, picking the card up.
    — from Pharos, The Egyptian: A Romance by Guy Boothby
  5. "You had better not do otherwise, my friend," snapped Pharos with his usual acidity.
    — from Pharos, The Egyptian: A Romance by Guy Boothby
  6. The day breaks beautifully, and the Pharos is set like a star in the bright streak of the East.
    — from The Works of Charles Dudley WarnerProject Gutenberg Editions by Charles Dudley Warner
  7. This spire darts up from the edge of the forest ridge like a Pharos for the Weald of Kent.
    — from Highways and Byways in Sussex by E. V. (Edward Verrall) Lucas

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