Literary notes about preening (AI summary)
Writers often use the term "preening" to evoke images of careful self-adornment and meticulous maintenance, whether in its literal sense among birds or as a metaphor for human vanity and self-scrutiny. In many works, such as one where a peacock is described strutting in the sun preening its feathers [1], the act is meant to highlight natural beauty and the grace of animal behavior. At the same time, authors extend this imagery to human characters: a figure might be depicted preening in front of a mirror, suggesting both superficial self-admiration and an underlying need to impress others [2, 3]. In some narratives, preening even hints at a displacement activity—a ritualistic gesture that masks inner vulnerability or self-consciousness [4]. In each instance, the term enriches the narrative by providing a vivid visual metaphor, linking the careful grooming seen in nature to the complexity of human self-presentation and the perennial tension between authenticity and performance.
- He must have been proud as a peacock strutting in the sun preening its feathers.
— from Blue Ridge Country by Jean Thomas - The Judge was alone, if one excepts the young woman at the typewriting desk, before whom he was preening, as though she were a mere impersonal mirror.
— from In the Heart of a Fool by William Allen White - She was fading, while he was still preening himself in his elegance and youth.
— from Sister Carrie: A Novel by Theodore Dreiser - Asphaltum is a bituminous pitch, as you know," said Leigh, getting down off the high stool and preening himself like a bedraggled raven.
— from Miracle Gold: A Novel (Vol. 1 of 3) by Richard Dowling
