Literary notes about raw (AI summary)
In literature, the word "raw" functions as a multifaceted descriptor that bridges the physical and the emotional. It often designates objects in their unprocessed or natural state, as seen in the depiction of an unmodified hide ([1]) or materials such as raw cotton ([2], [3]) and raw eggs in ancient recipes ([4], [5]). At the same time, "raw" conveys unfiltered, visceral sensations and states—illustrating everything from tender, exposed emotions ([6], [7]) to the untamed character of nature or early human experiences, such as the weather that makes a day feel particularly harsh ([8], [9]) or the unrefined vigor of a young man ([10]). This dual usage enriches narrative texture, allowing writers to evoke both the material and the innermost conditions of their subjects.
- 376 Some Dogs espied a raw hide sunk in a river.
— from The Fables of Phædrus by Phaedrus - Raw cotton must not be brought on to a mine in any shape, either in its native state or as stuffing of bolsters or mattresses.
— from Malay Magic by Walter William Skeat - Raw cotton, however, not only held its own but rose to a value of £18,692 from £6,159 the previous year.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - [season with] CRUSHED PEPPER AND A LITTLE RUE, ADD SUFFICIENT BROTH AND SOME OIL, AND MIX IN, ALSO ADD ENOUGH RAW EGGS
— from Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome by Apicius - [1] RAW FISH ANY KIND YOU PREFER, WASH [prepare, cut into handy size] ARRANGE IN A SAUCE PAN; ADD OIL, BROTH, VINEGAR, A BUNCH OF LEEKS AND
— from Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome by Apicius - The wound in my heart is raw and bleeding, thanks to the care you take to keep it in that condition.
— from Juliette Drouet's Love-Letters to Victor Hugo by Juliette Drouet and Louis Guimbaud - The air was pitilessly raw and already my heart misgave me.
— from Dubliners by James Joyce - The time is early in the evening; the weather moist and raw.
— from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - The morning is none of the comfortablest: raw; it is even drizzling a little.
— from The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle - She would save this raw young man who had come so far.
— from Martin Eden by Jack London