Literary notes about rant (AI summary)
In literary texts, the term “rant” is employed to evoke a sense of passionate, often unrestrained speech that can range from inspired vigor to bombastic diatribe. Authors use it both as an adjective—describing a vigorous, almost poetic outburst ([1])—and a noun to label a performance of outrageous verbosity, as seen in musical or poetic titles ([2], [3]). It also appears in dialogue, conveying both the emotional frenzy of characters, as when someone declares they “will rant and storm” ([4], [5], [6]), and a critique of empty, overwrought rhetoric ([7], [8], [9]). This multifaceted use underlines how “rant” can serve to both celebrate and satirize vehement expression in literature ([10], [11], [12], [13]).
- The former seems to me to be very fine rant—inspired rant, if you will—hovering on the borders of poetry.
— from Adventures in Criticism by Arthur Quiller-Couch - To the weaver's, &c. H2 anchor M'Pherson's Farewell Tune—“M'Pherson's Rant.” Farewell, ye dungeons dark and strong, The wretch's destinie!
— from Poems and Songs of Robert Burns by Robert Burns - The Battle Of Sherramuir Tune—“The Cameronian Rant.” “O cam ye here the fight to shun, Or herd the sheep wi' me, man?
— from Poems and Songs of Robert Burns by Robert Burns - I feel as if I could be anything or everything; as if I could rant and storm, or sigh or cut capers, in any tragedy or comedy in the English language.
— from Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - I shall offer to pay him to-morrow; he will rant and storm about his love for you, and there will be an end of the matter.”
— from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Nay, an thou’lt mouth, I’ll rant as well as thou.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - It is not possible for you to put too much real feeling into it, though of course it would be quite easy to rant and fill it with false emotion.
— from The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie and J. Berg Esenwein - The Revenge , in which Zanga acts the part of an Iago, has some forcible scenes, and so, despite much rant and fustian, has Busiris .
— from The Age of Pope(1700-1744) by John Dennis - In the talk of patriotism and public virtue he saw mere rant and extravagance.
— from History of the English People, Volume VII The Revolution, 1683-1760; Modern England, 1760-1767 by John Richard Green - He longed to hint to her that not here lay her vocation; that a woman’s power and charm reside in mystery, not in muscular rant.
— from A Room with a View by E. M. Forster - But possibly rant is a sign of vitality: it mars the beautiful creature, but shows that she is alive.
— from A Room with a View by E. M. Forster - “And what now avails rant or flattery?” answered Rebecca.
— from Ivanhoe: A Romance by Walter Scott - This indeed looks more like a Philosophical Rant than the real Opinion of a Wise Man; yet this was what Cato very seriously maintained.
— from The United States Bill of Rights The Ten Original Amendments to the Constitution of the United States by United States
