Literary notes about piquancy (AI summary)
In literature, the word "piquancy" has been used to evoke a sense of vivid, stimulating interest, often layered with unexpected or multifaceted qualities. For example, Edgar Allan Poe pairs it with elements like "glare and glitter" and "phantasm" to create an atmosphere of eerie brilliance and imaginative intensity [1][2]. In contrast, Walt Whitman suggests that sometimes, the very opposite of what one might expect can yield this stimulating quality, as he notes that "the very reverse sometimes gives piquancy" [3]. Additionally, Sunzi’s strategic musings highlight how the nuanced, almost paradoxical allure of piquancy can evaporate when ideas are translated or concealed, underscoring its delicate and transient nature in verbal expression [4]. Even in more succinct usage, as seen in Chekhov, the term encapsulates an intriguing flavor or zest that adds a compelling quality to a narrative moment [5].
- There were much glare and glitter and piquancy and phantasm—much of what has been since seen in “Hernani.”
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 2 by Edgar Allan Poe - There were much glare and glitter and piquancy and phantasm—much of what has been since seen in “Hernani.”
— from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition by Edgar Allan Poe - The very reverse sometimes gives piquancy.
— from Complete Prose Works by Walt Whitman - In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to conceal them; [The piquancy of the paradox evaporates in translation.
— from The Art of War by active 6th century B.C. Sunzi - at the piquancy of it.
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
